TOSC Position on Ballot Issue 1C
Expansion of
TOPS Maintenance Responsibilities
The City of Colorado
Springs has placed an initiative on the ballot (Issue 1C) that would
fundamentally change the way funds from the TOPS Program are spent over
the next 5 years. We urge you to vote NO on 1C.
The Trails and
Open Space Coalition has carefully considered the proposed ordinance to
change the maintenance percentages of the TOPS Program. However, after
much thought, our Board of Directors is opposed to this change to the
TOPS Ordinance. We base our opposition on the following reasons:
1. TOPS is a
highly successful program that is extremely popular with the citizens
of Colorado Springs. It has built numerous trails and parks and helped
protect thousands of acres of open space. The intent of the original
measure was not to provide parks maintenance at all, recognizing that
the fund could quickly be consumed by parks maintenance needs and used
to supplant general fund parks dollars. This was modified after much
study for the 2003 ballot extension to increase TOPS maintenance from
3% (trails and open space only) to 6% (added parks maintenance) which
was considered a reasonable level to provide some TOPS parks
maintenance while keeping the primary intent of the original ordinance.
The program has already gone from 3% to 6% and now is proposed to go to
15%. What happens a few years from now? 25% or more for maintenance? At
what point would it stop? The TOPS Extension was overwhelmingly
supported by the voters with a 63/37% approval. We feel this level of
support is a mandate for the current program.
2. While the
outlook for future open space acquisitions can't be fully predicted, we
do feel these changes could significantly slow down the momentum the
program has.
3. What we do
know is that there are still many properties on the City's Open Space
Master Plan that need protection. Losing several million dollars over
the course of the five-year period proposed on the ballot could
significantly impact our ability to preserve them.
4. We recognize
the City is facing extreme financial pressures. However, the economic
conditions that create those financial pressures make this the very
time to look at acquiring open space while land values are down. The
funds raised for parks maintenance under this proposal would be very
small in relationship to overall parks maintenance needs.
5. The Trails and
Open Space Coalition is leading an effort to create a long term
sustainable parks solution. We have formed a committee, much like the
TOPS Extension Committee, to look at some type of methodology to fund
our parks capital, operations and maintenance needs. We feel that if a
change to the existing ordinance is approved, it could impact future
attempts to address those needs.
Vote
NO on 1C
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Starlight Spectacular!
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