Welcome to Vote Yes on 1A

Vote Yes on 1A was created to provide accurate information to the public about Ballot Initiative 1A. Initiative 1A will go to vote on November 4, 2008 in El Paso County, Colorado. Please be sure to register to vote no later than Monday, October 6, 2008.

Initiative 1A allows for the protection of public safety and public health by improving the ability of the Sheriff, Police, and Firefighters to protect the citizens. It also allows the criminal justice system to prosecute and incarcerate the criminal offenders within El Paso County. Finally, it allows for the ability of the public health worker to investigate, protect against, and prevent the spread of dangerous infectious diseases.

The above information comes directly from the ballot initiative itself. Voteyeson1a.com desires for the public to be informed about what they are voting on and to not be confused by others who might mislead or misinform you in to what the ballot states. If you would like to know more about this initiative please click here to read through the entire text of 1A.

A Message from the Sheriff:

Please Vote Yes on 1A, The Safer Community Initiative

As your elected Sheriff, I have a sworn duty to protect you, your family, and our community. Part of fulfilling that duty is being open and honest, and providing you with facts. We are rapidly approaching a real public safety crisis here in El Paso County. Only you can make a real difference concerning the future of our public safety.

Over the past 21 months, fellow citizens have worked hard on a plan to provide all of us with the law enforcement, fire and public health protection you demand today and will need into the future. That plan is 1A, the Safer Community Initiative, which is on your November ballot. I'm asking you to give careful consideration to vote yes on 1A-The Safer Community Initiative.

By contributing 1 penny on a $1 purchase (with exemptions for food groceries, utilities, gasoline and prescription drugs), you and other residents will provide the funding needed to preserve and enhance our public safety response, things we are unable to provide enough of right now. 1A will provide:

  • Additional deputies to answer emergency calls from county residents and to safely guard inmates at the jail keeping them away from our families, schools and off our streets. This year inmate assaults on staff in the jail are up 50% over last year.
  • Additional wild land firefighting resources so I can meet my statutory responsibilities and protect lives and property. Today our wild land fire resources are one-third what they were just four years ago.
  • Resources to the District Attorney's Office so the DA can help youthful offenders turn their lives around before they become hardened criminals and to ensure crime victims get the justice they deserve.
  • Enough public health professionals to protect our community from the spread of dangerous diseases.
  • Enough buildings, facilities and equipment these hard-working professionals need to serve and protect you efficiently and effectively. This includes substations, one in the northeast part of the county and one in the southeast part, providing cost-efficient staging for sheriff's deputies and easier access for the public.
  • Additional jail space for keeping high security criminals behind bars and away from our families.

County-City Cooperation

It's important to note that while the majority of the new funding resulting from 1A, the Safer Community Initiative, would flow to the county for the District Attorney, Coroner, Health Department and Sheriff, roughly 36% percent will be shared with the city of Colorado Springs and the county's 7 other municipalities (based on population) to provide police and fire protection in those communities and so they can provide better services to their community. In that sense, 1A is an approach that addresses the most pressing issues among the public safety community. This initiative, by statutory definition, can only be used for law enforcement, fire and health department needs. It can not be used for other programs and special interests.

How did things get so bad?

This public safety and public health crisis has been a long time coming. That's because the Sheriff's Office and the rest of the county have been running very lean over the last decade. The Sheriff's Office has, by far, the lowest funding level per capita and lowest staffing level per capita of any major Front Range county. When the national and local economy slowed down a couple years ago, the Federal government cuts grant programs that helped offset many of our federal mandates. When those cuts took place we were left with the impact of those mandates and we did not have the resources or reserves to rely on. Today, El Paso County is the most efficiently run county on Colorado's Front Range, with a tax revenue of $189 per citizen. Following the passage of 1A, El Paso County will still be the most efficient county with $275 of tax revenue per citizen. That is 24% less than the average of the three largest front range counties.

Some say a sales tax increase is too much and offer a property tax as an alternative option. I disagree. We all enjoy the lowest property tax rate among the nine largest counties in Colorado. El Paso County's property tax rate is nearly five times less than the average of those nine counties. Businesses (commercial properties) are taxed at a much higher rate than residential properties. That tax burden alone could be devastating to businesses because that tax comes right from their profits and is then passed to us, the consumers. Sales tax is spread evenly across every citizen including active duty military living on our military installations. Tourists to this area will contribute over 25% of this revenue. Even criminals will pay their share of this tax.

Cut in patrols coming without 1A

Some of you already know that when you call 911, you have to wait, sometimes far too long! As the Sheriff, I will be forced to reduce patrols by nearly 10% for 2009, if 1A does not pass. I am faced with the reality that I will have to lay off between 14-22 deputies. This thought is disturbing because the demand and need is here now. Many times our deputies can not cover the calls for service pending and even more disturbing is they are placing themselves in grave danger because back-up is not available on high risk calls. A reduction of patrol deputies also affects our ability to be proactive with crime and will result in longer response times. If this same trend continues into 2010, we will have to reduce staffing again and our remaining deputies will only be able to answer highest priority calls for service, serving even a larger population and that will take them longer to get to you when you need them most. If staffing in the jail is cut, which is proposed for 2009 by the Board of County Commissioners, we will have to close at least one jail ward, meaning we will accept fewer arrestees in the jail. The end result is there will be more criminals on our streets and a diminishing deterrent effect.

These are not scare tactics these are facts

Here's a last thought for you to consider: the misguided, small number of opponents of 1A, the Safer Community Initiative, say leaders like me are using scare tactics to persuade you to vote for a tax. This is just not the case. I am here to provide you the facts, so you can decide the level of service you want and feel is needed in this community. Those of us elected or sworn to protect and serve you are very concerned about the future we are facing without this financial stability. To ignore these needs today, will most certainly be to the advantage of criminals in the future.

We need to protect ourselves

Opponents of 1A say this is not the right time because of the state of our national economy. I would say just the opposite. Now is the time for us in El Paso County to work together to ensure the safety of our community. When times are tough and we don't have enough resources is exactly when crime soars, fires get a chance to run wild and disease outbreaks turn into epidemics. We need to protect ourselves at the local level; nobody else is going to do it for us. A yes vote on November 4th is a vote of concern for our future, and a vote of no will certainly be the seed of a growing crisis for the future of our criminal justice system and your safe communities.

Again, as your Sheriff, I'm asking for you to support your Sheriff's Deputies, your DA's, your Coroners and support our Wildland Fire volunteers. Support an investment in the future of our great community by voting yes on 1A. I pledge to you, we will continue to be a model of efficiency and every cent spent will be done so responsibly. If you would like additional information as provided and researched by the Citizens for Effective Government, please go to www.csceg.org. More information of the Safer Community Initiative can be found at www.voteyeson1a.com, or you may simply contact me and I will be happy to answer your questions. I can be reached at 520-7212 or TerryMaketa@elpasoco.com.