BALLOT ISSUE NO. 1A:
SHALL PUEBLO COUNTY TAXES BE INCREASED BY APPROXIMATELY $18,000,000.00 ANNUALLY
(FIRST FULL FISCAL YEAR DOLLAR INCREASE STARTING IN 2016) TO DIRECTLY FUND THE URGENT
PUBLIC SAFETY NEEDS IDENTIFIED BY PUEBLO COUNTY SHERIFF KIRK M. TAYLOR, THE CHIEF LAW
ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL SERVING ALL RESIDENTS OF THE CITIES, TOWNS AND
UNINCORPORATED AREAS WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF PUEBLO COUNTY, AS CRITICAL TO
PERFORMING HIS STATUTORY OBLIGATIONS TO ALL PUEBLO COUNTY RESIDENTS, BY INCREASING
THE COUNTY’S SALES AND USE TAX RATE BY ONE CENT ($0.01) PER DOLLAR; WHICH NEEDS ARE
SPECIFICALLY IDENTIFIED IN THE AREAS OF PATROL, CRIMINAL JUSTICE, DETENTION FACILITY
AND EMERGENCY SERVICES WITH ALL REVENUES GENERATED TO BE RESTRICTED TO THE
FOLLOWING AND USED FOR NO OTHER PURPOSE:
1. PATROL NEEDS: HIRE, EMPLOY, FUND SALARIES, TRAIN AND EQUIP PATROL DEPUTIES,
INVESTIGATORS AND CIVILIAN SUPPORT STAFF ACCORDING TO CONTEMPORARY PRACTICE
WITHIN THE STATE OF COLORADO; CONDUCT FIRE AND CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS;
REPLACE OBSOLETE AND FAILING EQUIPMENT, PURCHASE AMMUNITION, FUEL AND OTHER
OPERATIONAL SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT; AND
2. CRIMINAL JUSTICE NEEDS: HIRE, EMPLOY, FUND SALARIES, TRAIN AND EQUIP DETENTION
DEPUTIES, COURT TRANSPORT PERSONNEL AND CIVILIAN SUPPORT STAFF ACCORDING TO
CONTEMPORARY PRACTICE WITHIN THE STATE OF COLORADO; CONDUCT CRIMINAL
EXTRADITION; REPLACE OBSOLETE AND ACQUIRE NEW EQUIPMENT TO ADDRESS
SECURITY, SAFETY, AND OPERATIONS; AND
3. DETENTION FACILITY NEEDS: REVIEW AND ASSESS NEEDS, DESIGN, ACQUIRE, CONSTRUCT,
FUND TRANSITION COSTS, REPURPOSE, OPERATE AND MAINTAIN DETENTION FACILITIES;
AND
4. EMERGENCY SERVICES NEEDS: HIRE, EMPLOY, FUND SALARIES, TRAIN AND EQUIP
EMERGENCY SERVICES BUREAU DEPUTIES AND CIVILIAN SUPPORT STAFF ACCORDING TO
CONTEMPORARY PRACTICE WITHIN THE STATE OF COLORADO IN THE AREA OF EMERGENCY
MANAGEMENT; REPLACE OBSOLETE AND ACQUIRE NEW EQUIPMENT;
WITH THE SHERIFF REQUIRED TO REPORT ANNUALLY TO THE CITIZENS OF PUEBLO COUNTY
ALL REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES RESULTING FROM SUCH TAX INCREASE; AND A
CITIZENS’ ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO REVIEW ALL REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES
RESULTING FROM SUCH TAX INCREASE; COMMENCING ON JANUARY 1, 2016 AND
AUTOMATICALLY ENDING ON DECEMBER 31, 2025 (TEN YEAR SUNSET PROVISION), AND
SHALL THE COUNTY BE AUTHORIZED TO COLLECT, RETAIN AND SPEND THE FULL REVENUES
FROM SUCH TAX WITHOUT STATUTORY OR CONSTITUTIONAL LIMITATION OR CONDITION,
INCLUDING ARTICLE X, SECTION 20 OF THE COLORADO CONSTITUTION, SECTION 29-1-301,
COLORADO REVISED STATUTES, OR ANY OTHER LAW?
Pueblo County, Colorado Actual Historical and Current Estimated Fiscal Year Spending Information:
Year
Fiscal Year Spending1
2011 (actual)
$78,679,605
2012 (actual)
$78,569,213
2013 (actual)
$79,698,800
2014 (actual)
$83,472,964
2015 (current year estimated)
$85,234,969
2016 (estimated)
$87,792,018
Overall percentage change in fiscal year
spending over the five year period from 2011
through 2015:
8.3%
Overall dollar change in fiscal year
spending over the five year period from
2011 through 2015:
$6,555,364
Estimated 2016 fiscal year spending
without taking into account the tax
increase authorized by the ballot issue:
$87,792,018
Estimated 2016 tax increase
authorized by Ballot Issue 1A:
$18,000,000
Summary of Written Comments FOR Ballot Issue No. 1A:
This community needs a sales tax to replace the jail, allow the purchase of equipment and to allow the
sheriff's office to compete for employees and repurpose the current dormitory into a detoxification center.
The sheriff serves all constituents in the County of Pueblo including the incorporated (city) and unincorporated (county).
The sales tax will hold the sheriff's budget to no more than that budgeted in 2015 for 10 years. All other
functions of the office of sheriff above the budget allocated in 2015 w i l l come from revenue generated
through the sales tax.
One penny is closest to actual costs; the aggregate amount of money collected will pay for the planning,
building and paying off the new jail within the allotted 10 year time frame. This money will be identified by
the sheriff for use only on the projects listed specifically in the ballot.
Re-purposing the existing dormitories into a social detoxification center, to allow for new city arrests, bring
back work release and inmate labor programs to areas of non-profit organizations.
It is estimated that up to 80% of the tax will be needed over ten years to buy, design, build, and staff the
new jail. This tax automatically sunsets in ten years with no other action to make it go away.
A citizen's advisory committee will be appointed by the sheriff and board of county commissioners to
report on incoming revenues and expenditures and to report to the citizens of Pueblo. Annually, the sheriff
has three areas of influence in the office known commonly as bureaus for response directly to the citizens,
the law enforcement bureau, the detentions bureau and the emergency services bureau. The sheriff is
1 Fiscal year spending includes amounts expended by the County for bonded debt service.
responsible for law enforcement in the unincorporated county, the orderly operation of the county jail which
houses people on the aggregate that have addresses in the city of Pueblo and the sheriff is the emergency
manager for the entire county. Services that include paper service (restraining orders, divorce papers,
evictions and all other forms of civil service) search and rescue, inmate programs and law enforcement
investigations and arrests.
The sheriff answers directly to the people of Pueblo and he declares that the county jail is unsafe due to
overcrowding and jail is more costly to maintain than the cost of building a new jail. This is supported by
the assessment completed in December 2014 and common sense. The sheriff states that he has tried all
other avenues to repair the jail, reduce the population and otherwise gain more years from this jail. He did
receive grants and used money found never before used to make repairs that were essential to security
for the inmates and citizens of Pueblo. The sheriff indicates that it is an emergency to replace this jail and
equipment used by deputies and the smallest part of the tax would help to make his deputies
compensation compete appropriately in the market to keep valuable employees.
Summary of Written Comments AGAINST Ballot Issue No. 1A:
No comments were filed by the constitutional deadline.