BALLOT ISSUE NO. 1A:

SHALL PUEBLO COUNTY TAXES BE INCREASED BY APPROXIMATELY $18,000,000.00 ANNUALLY (FIRST FULL FISCAL YEAR DOLLAR INCREASE STARTING IN 2016) TO DIRECTLY FUND THE URGENT PUBLIC SAFETY NEEDS IDENTIFIED BY PUEBLO COUNTY SHERIFF KIRK M. TAYLOR, THE CHIEF LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIAL SERVING ALL RESIDENTS OF THE CITIES, TOWNS AND UNINCORPORATED AREAS WITHIN THE BOUNDARIES OF PUEBLO COUNTY, AS CRITICAL TO PERFORMING HIS STATUTORY OBLIGATIONS TO ALL PUEBLO COUNTY RESIDENTS, BY INCREASING THE COUNTY’S SALES AND USE TAX RATE BY ONE CENT ($0.01) PER DOLLAR; WHICH NEEDS ARE SPECIFICALLY IDENTIFIED IN THE AREAS OF PATROL, CRIMINAL JUSTICE, DETENTION FACILITY AND EMERGENCY SERVICES WITH ALL REVENUES GENERATED TO BE RESTRICTED TO THE FOLLOWING AND USED FOR NO OTHER PURPOSE:

  1. PATROL NEEDS: HIRE, EMPLOY, FUND SALARIES, TRAIN AND EQUIP PATROL DEPUTIES, INVESTIGATORS AND CIVILIAN SUPPORT STAFF ACCORDING TO CONTEMPORARY PRACTICE WITHIN THE STATE OF COLORADO; CONDUCT FIRE AND CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS; REPLACE OBSOLETE AND FAILING EQUIPMENT,PURCHASEAMMUNITION,FUEL AND OTHER OPERATIONAL SUPPLIES AND EQUIPMENT; AND
  2. CRIMINAL JUSTICE NEEDS: HIRE, EMPLOY, FUND SALARIES, TRAIN AND EQUIP DETENTION DEPUTIES, COURT TRANSPORT PERSONNEL AND CIVILIAN SUPPORT STAFF ACCORDING TO CONTEMPORARY PRACTICE WITHIN THE STATE OF COLORADO; CONDUCT CRIMINAL EXTRADITION; REPLACE OBSOLETE AND ACQUIRE NEW EQUIPMENT TO ADDRESS SECURITY, SAFETY, AND OPERATIONS; AND
  3. DETENTION FACILITY NEEDS: REVIEW AND ASSESS NEEDS, DESIGN, ACQUIRE, CONSTRUCT, FUND TRANSITION COSTS, REPURPOSE, OPERATE AND MAINTAIN DETENTION FACILITIES; AND
  1. EMERGENCY SERVICES NEEDS: HIRE, EMPLOY, FUND SALARIES, TRAIN AND EQUIP EMERGENCY SERVICES BUREAU DEPUTIES AND CIVILIAN SUPPORT STAFF ACCORDING TO CONTEMPORARY PRACTICE WITHIN THE STATE OF COLORADO IN THE AREA OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT; REPLACE OBSOLETE AND ACQUIRE NEW EQUIPMENT;

WITH THE SHERIFF REQUIRED TO REPORT ANNUALLY TO THE CITIZENS OF PUEBLO COUNTY ALL REVENUES ANDEXPENDITURES RESULTING FROM SUCH TAX INCREASE; AND A CITIZENS’ ADVISORY COMMITTEE TO REVIEW ALL REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES RESULTING FROM SUCH TAX INCREASE; COMMENCING ON JANUARY 1, 2016 AND AUTOMATICALLY ENDING ON DECEMBER 31, 2025 (TEN YEAR SUNSET PROVISION), AND SHALL THE COUNTY BE AUTHORIZED TO COLLECT, RETAIN AND SPEND THE FULL REVENUES FROM SUCH TAX WITHOUT STATUTORY OR CONSTITUTIONAL LIMITATION OR CONDITION, INCLUDING ARTICLE X, SECTION 20 OF THE COLORADO CONSTITUTION, SECTION 29-1-301, COLORADO REVISED STATUTES, OR ANY OTHER LAW?

Pueblo County, Colorado Actual Historical and Current Estimated Fiscal Year Spending Information:

Year Fiscal Year Spending[1]

2011 (actual) $78,679,605

2012 (actual) $78,569,213

2013 (actual) $79,698,800

2014 (actual) $83,472,964

2015 (current year estimated) $85,234,969

2016 (estimated) $87,792,018

Overall percentage change in fiscal year

spending over the five year period from 2011

through 2015: 8.3%

Overall dollar change in fiscal year

spending over the five year period from

2011 through 2015: $6,555,364

Estimated 2016 fiscal year spending

without taking into account the tax

increase authorized by the ballot issue: $87,792,018

Estimated 2016 tax increase

authorized by Ballot Issue 1A: $18,000,000

Summary of Written Comments FOR Ballot Issue No. 1A:

Thiscommunityneedsasalestaxtoreplacethejail,allowthepurchaseofequipmentandtoallowthesheriff'sofficetocompeteforemployeesandrepurposethecurrentdormitoryintoadetoxificationcenter. ThesheriffservesallconstituentsintheCountyofPuebloincludingtheincorporated(city)andun-incorporated(county).

Thesalestaxwillholdthesheriff'sbudgettonomorethanthatbudgetedin2015for10years.Allotherfunctionsoftheofficeofsheriffabovethebudgetallocatedin2015will comefromrevenuegeneratedthroughthesalestax.

Onepennyisclosesttoactualcosts;theaggregateamountofmoneycollectedwillpayfor theplanning,buildingandpayingoffthenewjailwithintheallotted10yeartimeframe.Thismoneywillbeidentifiedbythesheriffforuseonlyontheprojectslistedspecificallyintheballot.

Re-purposingtheexistingdormitoriesintoasocialdetoxificationcenter,toallowfornewcityarrests,bringbackworkreleaseandinmatelaborprogramstoareasofnon-profitorganizations.

Itisestimatedthatupto80%ofthetaxwillbeneededovertenyearstobuy,design,build,andstaffthenewjail. Thistaxautomaticallysunsetsintenyearswithnootheractiontomakeitgoaway.

Acitizen'sadvisorycommitteewillbeappointedbythesheriffand boardofcountycommissionerstoreportonincomingrevenuesandexpendituresandtoreporttothecitizensofPueblo.Annually,thesheriffhasthreeareasofinfluenceintheoffice knowncommonlyasbureausforresponsedirectlytothecitizens, thelawenforcementbureau,thedetentionsbureauandtheemergencyservicesbureau.Thesheriffisresponsibleforlawenforcementintheunincorporatedcounty,theorderlyoperationofthecountyjailwhichhousespeopleontheaggregatethathaveaddressesinthecityof Puebloandthesheriffistheemergencymanagerfortheentire county. Servicesthatincludepaperservice(restrainingorders,divorcepapers,evictionsandallotherformsofcivilservice)searchandrescue,inmateprogramsandlawenforcementinvestigationsandarrests.

Thesheriff answersdirectlytothepeopleofPuebloandhedeclaresthatthecountyjailisunsafeduetoovercrowdingandjailismorecostlytomaintainthanthecostofbuildinganewjail. ThisissupportedbytheassessmentcompletedinDecember2014andcommonsense.Thesheriffstatesthathehastriedallother avenuestorepairthejail,reducethepopulationandotherwisegainmoreyearsfromthisjail. HedidreceivegrantsandusedmoneyfoundneverbeforeusedtomakerepairsthatwereessentialtosecurityfortheinmatesandcitizensofPueblo. Thesheriffindicatesthatit isanemergencytoreplacethisjail andequipmentusedbydeputiesandthesmallestpartofthetaxwould helptomakehisdeputiescompensationcompeteappropriatelyinthemarkettokeepvaluableemployees.

Summary of Written Comments AGAINST Ballot Issue No. 1A:

No comments were filed by the constitutional deadline.

[1] Fiscal year spending includes amounts expended by the County for bonded debt service.