As Colorado Springs looks at a menu of new fees and taxes on jobs, cigarettes, liquor and cars, El Paso County is focused on the blue-plate special.Options proposed by a citizen fiscal policy committee call for the county to bypass digging deeper into taxpayers’ wallets. A subcommittee of the Citizens’ Budget Oversight Committee recommended:

The measure would stem TABOR’s downward “ratchet effect” on the tax rate when assessed values rise, which has happened nearly every year since TABOR was adopted in 1992.The committee believes stabilizing the rate would enable the county to collect more revenue but remain within the mandated cap.”It’s bogus,” said Douglas Bruce, TABOR’s author, adding the measure would violate the law.The committee’s ideas, to be presented to county commissioners this month, come as the recession continues to erode revenues.Budget Director Nicola Sapp said Thursday the county’s revenue through April fell $1.1 million short of budget forecasts, putting the county on track for a $3.4 million shortage this year. However, operating and capital spending declined in the first four months.”We don’t see any additional cuts needed now but will be watching it closely,” Commissioner Sallie Clark said.A big help came from a sevenfold increase in use-tax collections, a 1-percent tax charged on construction materials during the second quarter.On April 1, the county transferred collections from the city to the Regional Building Department. Commissioners suspected some builders shipped materials to work sites without paying the tax. Now the tax is tied to building permits.”We collected more in June ($657,500) than the city did in all of 2008, even though activity is down 34 percent on residential and 49 percent on commercial,” Commission Chairman Jim Bensberg said.Bensberg, who instigated the change, predicted the county will bring in $4 million in use tax this year without a 90-day wait to get it from the state.Any extra would help fill the anticipated budget gap and unexpected expenses, like the $110,000 to $150,000 needed for courthouse repairs after a June 26 storm peeled off the south tower’s roof.

Miasen Avent, 5, rode in her first cattle drive with her father Lavert and brother Tyler Friday in the annual Longhorn Cattle Drive downtown. More than 60 Longhorn cattle were driven by real working ranch cowboys from 12 ranches. The cowboys are in town Photo by CAROL LAWRENCE, THE GAZETTE