Mayor Steve Bach previously expressed concerns that El Paso County was placing a proposed sales tax increase for the Sheriff’s Office on the same ballot as the proposed PPRTA sales tax extension in November.
But now, he’s not taking a position.
At Wednesday night’s town hall meeting, Bach encouraged voters to support Issue 5A, the PPRTA extension.
But he didn’t say a peep about Issue 1A.
In a brief interview after the town hall, Bach said it was a “county issue” and that he trusted voters to make a good decision.
He said the same thing Thursday when he appeared on the Richard Randall radio show and a caller asked his position.
“With respect to the sheriff’s tax increase, that’s a proposal by the county commissioners that’s on the ballot right now. You know, that’s a county issue,” he said.
“That is not a city issue in terms of my having any involvement or standing in that. I’m just not taking a position on that. I don’t think that’s appropriate. I don’t manage the sheriff’s department. I’m not familiar with the county’s budget, frankly, or the details of the sheriff’s operation. So, you know, in the end, I trust the voters to make a good decision.”
