On April 4 Colorado Springs overwhelmingly voted to extend the TOPS program for twenty more years. TOPS (trails, open space and parks) was originally passed in 1997. A group of citizens gathered voter signatures and placed it on the ballot. Rapid development was robbing the region of pristine open space and recreational opportunities. Counties to the north such as Douglas, Jefferson, Boulder and Larimer were already saving land and building trails using sales tax revenue. Spruce Mountain, Lincoln Mountain, Greenland, Dawson Butte and most recently Sandstone Ranch open space are just a few examples of what Douglas county residents have preserved thanks to a .17% open space sales tax recently renewed for 15 additional years by 88% of voters.

Consider Greenland Open Space. Each time I drive north I feel myself relaxing as my eyes take in the beauty of the 21,000 acre ranch preserved by the people of Douglas county. The equestrians, hikers, cattle, rolling pasture, occasional elk herd are a pleasure to observe. Had it not been preserved it would be blanketed with homes, businesses and billboards.

Imagine what could be preserved if El Paso County had a similar tax. Even a very small .1% tax (one penny out of every ten dollars spent) could open the door to all kinds of opportunities. How much do pennies add up? That would amount to raising about $15 million per year. It would only raise the county’s sales tax from 1.23% to 1.33%. Should the county decide to do what other counties do and offer a share back to smaller communities such as Monument and Palmer Lake, suddenly communities would have dollars to improve playgrounds, sports fields, trails and preserve open spaces. Soccer fields and pickle ball courts could be built. There would be funding for a new northern nature center in Fox Run Park to help educate the future stewards of our natural resources. The county would have dollars to purchase rather than lease Black Forest Section 16 and protect the nationally recognized Paint Mines.

When Trust for Public Land analyzed the city’s TOPS program, they found that the average cost for each city resident was $14 per person per year. A county TOPS tax at the same tax rate would likely cost each of us about the same. I for one would gladly forgo 3-4 cups of coffee over a 12-month period to support existing parks, trails and open spaces while preserving new ones.

Let’s at least consider the idea. If we can’t get residents and county leadership on board, we can shelve the idea and try again another day. But as one of the fastest growing counties in Colorado and the only one of our size that does not have a dedicated TOPS tax to keep the county from becoming border to border rooftops, isn’t it time?

Susan Davies is executive director of the 30-year-old Trails and Open Space Coalition. Send any questions and comments to susan@trailsandopenspaces.org.

Susan Davies