Photo by Daniel J. Chacón
Former Mayor Lionel Rivera says the city has “plenty of options” to fund stormwater, which the city has largely put off since the City Council put a bullet between the eyes of the Stormwater Enterprise.
But one of the options suggested by Rivera — a tax increase — probably won’t see the light of day.
That’s because Mayor Steve Bach signed a no-tax pledge before he was elected.
Bach has sounded the alarm on the city’s half-billion-dollar stormwater needs and wants the City Council to look for inefficiencies at Colorado Springs Utilities to help pay for them.
Stormwater is responsibility of the city government that’s placed under the authority of the mayor.
“There are plenty of options, but difficult ones if you pledged not to support a tax increase,” Rivera said in an email.
Of all the City Council members who ran for office last year, only Councilwoman Angela Dougan signed the pledge, which was issued by the Colorado chapter of Americans for Prosperity.
The previous council eliminated the Stormwater Enterprise in December 2009 following the passage of ballot Issue 300. The vote was 5-4. Rivera was among the four council members who opposed eliminating the enterprise.
Here is the full text of Rivera’s email, with a few minor edits:
The mayor, with the support of City Council, can put a stormwater department in place with a similar fee as the enterprise and accomplish it through the legislative process. It wouldn’t be an enterprise, but it would subject to TABOR.
He could ask the City Council to develop a rate structure through (Colorado Springs Utilities) to support paying for stormwater infrastructure. Even if there are cost savings that could pay for stormwater, he would have to advocate using the cost savings verses reducing rates.
If a small mill levy is the answer, then he would have to advocate for a tax increase.
The only way to get this done without a fee or tax increase is to grow municipal revenues or create efficiencies of $16 million annually in the municipal budget. I use $16 million because that is what the SWE fee generated.
If City Council can squeeze some savings from CSU and agree to cover some of the costs, then they would need to have a rate hearing to create the tariffs to justify and use the funds. The public would probably view this as a rate increase.
There are plenty of options, but difficult ones if you pledged not to support a tax increase.
How on earth is it fair to use CSU to fund the stormwater obligations of the city? First of all, the Mayor has no standing with CSU…he’s just the mayor, not even part of the CSU board. Secondly, if you use CSU to levy the fee, then you’re thrusting the fees on landowners disproportionately compared to other residents. If CSU chooses to hit those who have water service for example, then entire areas of the city shirk the tax because they get their water elsewhere. Finally, if CSU hits us with an additional bill or fee, it’s a tax, no two ways about it…..and then Bach is breaking his campaign promises.
I recommend Bach start paying for this problem by laying off his director of social media, saving the city a $50k+ salary plus thousands more in retirement and benefit savings.
Let me get this straight – as far as I can tell, last week the Mayor proposed we decommission Drake Plant and either enter into a contract with Excell to replace that lost capacity and/or sell the Electric portion of Colorado Springs Utilities outright so he can move Sky Sox stadium to the Drake location. Now he wants Utilities to cover the entire cost of funding the municipal responsiblity for the stormwater problem. I think he must be spending all his free time hanging out at one of those medical marijuana places.
But hey – nevermind the improbability of all that – the one thing he is firm about is that he will never raise taxes.
Well the Mayor promised to change things up for the better. If we keep with the status quo we will get what we have always got. A one horse town.
…”Speaking from behind the french fry machine at McDonald’s, where he is currently employed, former mayor Lionel Rivera said today”…
Same on you Rivera , you sold us down the river for you and your cronnies, Rivera has been one of our worst mayors. So for him to give advise after the OTC scandal NOT, go away Rivera.
Trust and believe Bach will piggback it on the ulilities.
lilithia
Why is this man not in prison?