June Waller is worried about Colorado Springs’ economic future.

Half of the city’s economy is dependent on the military, she said. And a threat of base closures and defense cuts, including a proposal to eliminate up to 16,000 of Fort Carson’s 24,000 soldiers, has her nervous.

The next mayor of Colorado Springs ought to lead efforts to make the economy more diverse, she said. And she wants to know what industries each of the six mayoral candidates think will move the city forward.

“I want to know which candidates feel strongly about continuing the stronghold the military has,” said Waller, 79. “If you are looking at the future and still depending on the military or El Pomar, to me, you are planning on standing still.”

Waller was among 20 citizens who joined The Gazette’s editors and reporters for reader forums in January to talk about the issues important to them in the April 7 municipal election.

Her question to candidates: “What industry would you try to attract to Colorado Springs?”

Tony Carpenter, a former city employee who now works at McCloskey Truck Town and made a run for mayor in 2003 and 2007, said that if he were elected mayor in April, he would focus on growing and retaining existing businesses. It wouldn’t be fair, he said, to recruit businesses by offering incentives that the existing businesses don’t get.

“I personally don’t feel like we (the city government) have to go out and try to attract business – it’s not the government’s role,” he said.

If the city looks like it is taking care of itself – roads, sidewalks, parks and public safety – that alone will be a selling point for existing businesses to want to stay and new businesses to have the confidence to relocate here, Carpenter said.

“When it comes down to it, we need to eliminate roadblocks like the business personal property tax,” Carpenter said. “We need to quit trying to put roadblocks in front of businesses.”

In Colorado Springs, businesses pay sales and use tax on purchased equipment, but they also are taxed on equipment used to conduct business, including large machinery, computer equipment, desks and furniture as part of the business personal property tax. The tax brings in about $1.9 million annually to city coffers.

Amy Lathen, an El Paso County commissioner, held her first campaign speech inside a manufacturing plant in Colorado Springs and said she would do her best to court that industry. Manufacturing jobs are an economic driver because of the high number of indirect jobs they create, she said.

In El Paso County’s manufacturing heyday of the late 1990s, the industry represented 16 percent of the local economy. By 2010, El Paso County lost 14,300 manufacturing jobs – a 55 percent decline.

To start, she said, she would work to eliminate the business personal property tax, which affects businesses such as manufacturers who purchase expensive equipment.

“And then I go from there and review all of the things related to the business development review process and regulations,” she said. “It starts with polices themselves. What do we have on the books? Why are we requiring that regulation? Once you get that done, we should say how fast can we make it happen.

“This is why I talk about an entire reform. That is where rubber meets the road with business.”

Mary Lou Makepeace, a former Colorado Springs mayor,says getting manufacturing jobs back would be nice, but the city needs to focus on businesses of the future such as cybersecurity – an industry that has a growing presence in the Springs.

“First of all, we know that is a growing need and a growing business,” she said. “We have so many people in the military and civilians who are engaged in cybersecurity, I think we have something to build on – that is where my mind is going in terms of attracting a field that would change the economy.”

Makepeace says she wants to develop an economic development strategy for recruiting business with the local business community.

“I would work shoulder to shoulder with the business community to identify who we want and then find out where those businesses currently are located and gather intelligence. It’s basically a courtship – we reach out and sell Colorado Springs and what we have to offer.”

Lawrence Martinez, a business consultant, said he would try to turn a base closure or reduction in local military personnel into a solution by seeking out companies that would be interested in services, like training, that the military uses, he said.

“I would take military bases that get deserted and offer that to companies that need to come and take that equipment that will be left here,” he said. “I would go out to industry and see what kind of tax breaks you give them, try to utilize what they leave behind, especially the high-tech industry. I would say high-tech companies, they would at least be able to pay a higher wage and hire more than the other businesses.”

Beyond that, Martinez said he would offer tax breaks to companies to relocate to the Springs if they paid more than minimum wage and considered locating in the southeast corridor.

“I would go out of state, to see who we can bring in,” he said. “We need to increase the minimum wage so people have money to spend, which would increase sales tax (collections), and that helps pay for infrastructure.”

Joel Miller, a retired Air Force officer and commercial pilot, said there is a resurgence of manufacturing across the U.S. and there is no reason why Colorado Springs cannot be at the forefront.

“I recently spoke to a former White House adviser for manufacturing who explained that for every manufacturing job, 10 to 12 supply jobs and 10 service sector jobs are created,” he said. “Also, we’re well set up for those types of businesses because we can work with local educational institutions, like PPCC (Pikes Peak Community College), to get our workforce trained and with our Utilities to provide the necessary infrastructure and low rates.

“So, my concentration will be on attracting manufacturing businesses. But I want to convey to the world at large that Colorado Springs is hanging up a sign that reads, ‘We’re Open for Business.’ ”

John Suthers, former Colorado attorney general, said the city has companies such as USAA that have a national presence. The way to retain those companies is for the city to invest in itself.

“I have had conversations with companies who say we want to expand, but we need to see some indication that the Springs is going to do what it needs to do,” Suthers said.

And that means taking care of its roads and other infrastructure needs.

Suthers is convinced that several industries in Colorado Springs are on the verge of taking off, including aerospace, medical innovation, cybersecurity and sports.

“We have small companies percolating,” he said. “We have to nurture them so they can grow.”

And he would be dedicated to becoming the city’s representative when the Regional Business Alliance or individual businesses are seeking investors or grants for economic development, he said.

“I’m willing to go with them to the Economic Development Commission and personally advocate to get those economic development grants,” he said. “I would travel, if necessary, to make the case for them in Washington, D.C., or any other place. I would be in total complete cooperation in their efforts to get what they need to grow.”

June Waller “What industries would you try to attract to Colorado Springs? Or, what industrustries do you think would move Colorado Springs forward?” Two forums with readers were held on Thursday, January 29, 2015, at the Gazette to discuss what issues the participants would like to see covered in the upcoming election. (The Gazette/Jerilee Bennett)

JERILEE BENNETT/THE GAZETTE