Anti-tax activist Douglas Bruce’s lawsuit was quickly dismissed this week in El Paso County court, foiling the man’s attempt to revise two tax-related questions on Colorado Springs ballots.

Bruce filed the suit against El Paso County Clerk and Recorder Chuck Broerman Wednesday, and it was dismissed Friday.

In the lawsuit, Bruce alleges Broerman refused to assure Bruce that he would not print the “illegal wording” Colorado Springs wrote for the ballots. The questions ask whether voters want to raise taxes until 2020 to fund road repairs and if city residents will allow the city to keep and spend an excess $2.1 million in taxes on trail improvements.

Bruce’s complaint says question 2C, a proposal to raise the sales tax .62 percent, violates the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights because it is three words over the 30-word limit for such questions. He also wrote that the city did not provide the proper text with the ballot questions. For both questions, accompanying text is from city council resolutions, not proposed ordinances.

Bruce, who authored TABOR, refused to comment on the lawsuit or its dismissal unless The Gazette agreed not to mention he is a felon. He was convicted in 2012 of tax evasion, filing a false tax return and trying to influence a public servant. He implied over the phone Friday evening that he plans to appeal the dismissal.

Broerman said Friday that he does not have the authority to change anything on Colorado Springs ballots, which is what Bruce wanted him to do. Judge Barbara Hughes dismissed the case during a hearing Friday afternoon.

“The judge affirmed that I did not have the authority to just, on a whim, modify another entity’s ballot language,” Broerman said.

Ballots for members of the military and other citizens overseas were printed and sent Friday, Broerman said, and there was no time to waste.

Bruce “sued the wrong entity,” said Broerman, adding that Bruce should have sued the city.

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Contact Kassondra Cloos: 636-0362

Twitter: @Kassondra Cloos