Ballot Countdown

In recalling how the Springs Community Improvement Program began in 1998 and 1999, former Colorado Springs mayor Mary Lou Makepeace said one the biggest achievements of that bond program was the input from about 300 citizens.

At the time, she was the mayor.

Makepeace is once again running for mayor. She invited about 20 people Tuesday to a discussion about the city’s infrastructure and how to pay for it.

In the late 1990s, the city had about $500 million in infrastructure needs, said Jim Mullen, former Colorado Springs City Manager. Makepeace and city leaders invited people to tell them what needs they had in their neighborhoods and parks to come up with the list of 29 projects to take to voters.

The 1999 voter-approved SCIP bond, which paid for $88 million in capital projects, is about to be paid off.

Now, there is a proposal by the current mayor to renew the bonds for $160 million to pay for capital improvement projects, including street improvement, parks, public safety and stormwater projects. The plan would not increase taxes or fees. Instead, the bonds would be paid back from the city’s general fund. The projects would be completed in five years and the bond debt would be paid off in 20 years.

Its biggest flaw of that plan, Makepeace says, is that the list of capital projects was developed by the city’s staff.

Nothing wrong with the city’s staff, she said.

“But the involvement of citizens often had priorities that were different from the city staff,” she said about how the original list of capital projects was developed. “They live with the broken infrastructure and they see things personally.”

Makepeace said there could be a better way: take the $8 million that is spent annually from the city’s general fund to pay down the SCIP bond and add it to the existing money being spent on stormwater projects. She called it a pay-as-you-go program and said the city could focus on stormwater and then move on to other projects.

She has a problem with going into debt for 20 years for five years’ worth of projects, she said. At the end of five years, the city still will be behind in its infrastructure needs, she said. The proposal, for example, does not include money for transit or sidewalk development that would benefit wheelchair users.

“There has not been a thoughtful engagement by citizens for a real solution,” Makepeace said.

Colorado Springs City Council will vote Tuesday whether to put the $160 million bond question on the April 7 ballot. The meeting begins at 1 p.m. in City Hall.

Mary Lou Makepeace is one of four declared mayoral candidates. Every Thursday in The Gazette Ballot Countdown will feature campaign news and notes. Follow Mendo1987 and #CSpolitics.