The fiscally conservative members of the El Paso County Board of County Commissioners have come out in opposition to three ballot issues that opponents say could have catastrophic consequences for local and state government.

The five-member board is set to ratify a resolution on Thursday that states that Amendment 60, Amendment 61 and Proposition 101 would “have a long-lasting detrimental impact on the residents of El Paso County.”  The pending vote follows an Aug. 19 discussion on the measures.

Multi-faceted and extremely complex, the trio of ballot issues would collectively roll back taxes, greatly inhibit the ability of local and state governments to borrow money, reduce the state income tax, and cut automobile-related revenue.

A former El Paso county commissioner, Douglas Bruce, is alleged to be one of the guiding forces behind the initiatives. Following a campaign finance hearing last spring, a Denver judge found that Bruce coached the proponents on the language of the measures and helped shepherd them through the certification process.

In addition, eight professional petition circulators who gathered thousands of signatures lived  for a short time in a rental house that Bruce owns in central Colorado Springs, Secretary of State records show.

Coincidentally, on the day that commissioners are expected to ratify the resolution, Bruce is scheduled to appear in a Denver courtroom on contempt-of-court citation stemming from his failure to appear for a deposition in connection with the campaign finance complaint. The Colorado Attorney General’s Office, which brought the complaint, alleges that Bruce is trying to drag out the process until after the November election.

Amy Lathen, who was appointed to fill Bruce’s slot and represents sprawling eastern El Paso County, said, “I’m a staunch supporter of government accountability and restraint in debt and spending. These initiatives go far beyond all of these things.”

According to an analysis by the Denver-based Bell Policy Center, Proposition 101 alone would deliver a staggering blow to the budget of El Paso County, as well as schools, cities, towns, libraries and other special taxing districts in the county.

For example, funding for county schools would decrease from $30.5 million to less than $500,000 with the state expected to make up the difference. That means that the per-pupil funding in a district such as Calhan would go from $130 to about $2 and in Hanover it would drop from $449 per pupil to about $7.

The resolution notes passage of all three initiatives would adversely impact the quality of life of El Paso County residents for many years.

“This is a kneejerk reaction to our distrust of the national government,” said Commissioner Sallie Clark. “I would call on residents not to punish us for what’s happening at the national level.”

Air Force Academy’s Asher Clark, left, was wrapped up by BYU defensive back Andrew Rich during a 2008 game at Falcon Stadium. Photo by THE GAZETTE FILE

KIRK SPEER