Ballot issues can be confusing, and there are two from the Town of Monument that I would like to make sure the details and reasons why they are on the ballot are communicated in plain English for those who might have questions.

2A: Lodging Tax – The majority of towns and cities have a lodging tax (some refer to it as a bed tax) placed upon places where people lay their heads while visiting. These places could be a hotel/motel, nights spent at a truck stop and short-term rentals (under 30 days). The tax can be designated for many different things like promoting a town, putting on events, and infrastructure.

For the Town of Monument, Council would like to create a lodging tax with the money specifically to be used for town parks. Putting more money into parks has been a goal of Council for many years. A 5% Lodging Tax could be a way to infuse an estimated $220,000 annually into town owned parks, with an estimated 5% of the money raised going towards the administration of the tax; the software fee making up most of that 5% admin cost.

It is important to note that this tax is not paid for by the citizens of Monument, nor is it paid for by the hotel, truck stop or short-term rental owners. It is paid for by those guests staying at those locations only for the days they stay.

2B: Increasing the boundaries the Town Manager of Monument may live — Currently, the charter reads a Town Manager must live within town boundaries. For those familiar with town boundaries, that footprint is not a large footprint and housing has become a challenge for many moving here, especially if it is a mandated part of your job.

The Town of Monument Council feels expanding the boundary from only Town limits, which is a portion of the zip code 80132, to all of 80132, will help attract quality candidates to fulfill this very important position. In many cases, unincorporated portions of 80132 can be closer to Town Hall than some parts of Monument that are within town boundaries.

These are the details, but should anyone have any questions not covered here, please feel free to reach out to me at Terri@TriLakesChamber.com and I will help gather those answers for you.