He didn’t call it silly.

But Mayor Lionel Rivera said a pledge to “oppose and vote against any and all efforts to increase taxes” wouldn’t bear his signature if he was seeking public office.

“If that pledge means that I cannot refer a measure to the ballot and let citizens decide for themselves like the TABOR charter amendment allows, then no, I would not sign it. Of course not,” he said.

“Why would I deny the citizens even a choice of voting by not referring something?”

The no-tax pledge is the brainchild of conservative radio host Jeff Crank and Americans for Prosperity Colorado, a group that Crank oversees.

It has been signed by at least 10 mayoral and City Council candidates.

The mayoral candidates are Steve Bach, Brian Bahr, Mitch Christiansen, Tom Gallagher, Buddy Gilmore and Phil McDonald. The council candidates are Tony Carpenter, Angela Dougan, Sean Paige, and Daniel Reifschneider.

The pledge asks candidates to promise “to the taxpayers of Colorado Springs that I will oppose and vote against any and all efforts to increase taxes.”

Rivera called the pledge “vague.”

“I can’t raise taxes. Only the citizens can,” he said. “That’s what TABOR allows. That’s what you’re supposed to do. That’s what TABOR tells you to do.”

Rivera stressed that voters should have a choice and pointed to the public safety sales tax and the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority as examples of tax increases that voters have been willing to support.

“The citizens always should have a choice, and they tell us what they want,” he said.

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