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Here are some of the stories we are following this week. Connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for up-to-the-minute news.
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The local group opposing the Karman Line Annexation has a new website. They are gathering petition signatures to put this massive annexation on the ballot, and let voters decide the matter rather than political insiders. Visit their website for more information, and watch for signature gatherers around town.
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In 2023, the Colorado Legislature decided that paying for all phone calls for prison inmates was a fine use of your tax dollars. Well, the bill for last year is here, and it’s $5 million. It turns out that prisoners like taxpayer-funded stuff a lot. Expect them to like it more and more going into the future.
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Despite all the big talk of the booming economy in Colorado, unemployment claims are rising faster here than in any other state.
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A bill to remove the $0.10 retail paper bag fee was immediately killed in a legislative committee. They truly want to nickel and dime you to death, don't they?
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Colorado District 11 school board has voted to approve the $750,000 for redesigning Jenkins Middle School, which needs critical structural repairs.
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Colorado Springs Utilities CEO Travas Deal penned an opinion piece this week which tries to justify the water usage needed to supply the coming Karman Line Annexation.
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The recent enforcement of immigration law is freeing up some seats in Denver Public Schools.
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Denver Mayor Mike Johnston has spent tons of taxpayer money to support and defend illegal immigrants, and vagrants. Now, he’s crying for more money from taxpayers so he can improve parks and roads, which is what he should have been doing in the first place.
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A recent bill has been introduced in the Colorado Legislature that would install Soviet-style price controls in Colorado. Because they don’t read history. Or, they do read history and just don’t care.
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More housing building permits were issued in Banning Lewis Ranch, but apartment building permit requests are falling for those of us in Apartment City USA.
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The Trump administration has frozen $570 million in federal taxpayer money that was headed to Colorado to support or promote illegal immigration and DEI programs. Government officials, including Governor Polis, are upset that this grab bag of unaccountable taxpayer cash has been taken from them. They’ve grown so accustomed to living large off of taxpayers, that they genuinely believe they are entitled to a never-ending stream of your money.
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One of the three people accused of staging a fake racist crime against Colorado Springs Mayor Yemi Mobolade says she is innocent because this counts as free speech under the First Amendment. Let’s see where this idea leads.
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Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser is suing to keep another taxpayer funding scheme going. He’s suing the Trump administration for cutting taxpayer funding for biomedical research.
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Developers are proposing a 43-unit affordable housing development in Manitou Springs. It would be the first multi-family development in Manitou in more than 50 years.
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Colorado Springs City Council has given preliminary approval for the use of e-bikes on some local trails.
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Speaking of bicycles and the government wanting more of your money, the Colorado Legislature is considering a bill to charge you more to register your motor vehicle. The fee would go toward, “vulnerable road user protection.” Sounds like punishing most to reward a chosen few, and funding an already bloated state government.
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Would any government propose a law that would allow illegal aliens to vote? You bet. New York is proposing just such a measure. When will our legislature copy this here?
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While the Colorado Legislature schemes to take more from you, they go easy on fentanyl dealers. A bill to impose more severe penalties for selling fentanyl was killed in the Senate.
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A bill has been introduced in the Colorado Legislature to create a government efficiency board. Expect the usual suspects to immediately kill this effort.
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A judge has determined that the effort to redo the vote on marijuana sales within Colorado Springs city limits is against the state constitution. However, a district court judge has decided to allow the city to put this question, once again, on your April ballot. Stay tuned, folks.
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Some Woodland Park City Council members are threatening to cut sales tax funding to the Woodland Park School District, citing a lack of transparency with how this money is being spent.
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If you would like to help support us in our mission as government watchdogs by becoming a Newsletter Sponsor, we are offering two sponsorships for each weekly newsletter, at the nominal cost of $100 each. Funds raised from these sponsorship opportunities will help us to keep looking out for taxpayers.
Here are some upcoming meetings in the area. We hope you can attend one or more! If there are other public meetings you’d like to see announced here, please drop us a line. We are happy to include them in an upcoming newsletter. These might be government-related, candidate, or elected official meetings. Thanks!
Colorado Springs City Council Meetings
Monday, February 24, 9:00 a.m.
Colorado Springs City Council Work Session
107 N. Nevada, 3rd floor
Live stream link here
Agenda not yet posted
Tuesday, February 25, 9:00 a.m.
Colorado Springs City Council
107 N. Nevada, 3rd floor
Live stream link here
Agenda not yet posted
El Paso County Board of County Commissioner Meetings
Tuesday, February 18, 9:00 a.m.
El Paso County Board of County Commissioners
Centennial Hall
200 S. Cascade
Live stream link here
Agenda not yet posted
Tuesday, February 25, 9:00 a.m.
El Paso County Board of County Commissioners
Centennial Hall
200 S. Cascade
Live stream link here
Agenda not yet posted
Colorado Springs Utilities Board of Directors
Wednesday, February 19, 1:00 p.m.
Utilities Board of Directors
Blue River Board Room
Plaza of the Rockies, South Tower, 5th Floor
Live stream link here
Agenda
Miscellaneous Meetings of Interest
Monday, March 3, 6:00 p.m.
Law Enforcement Transparency and Advisory Committee
City Hall
107 S. Nevada Avenue, Suite 200
Also, online via Microsoft Teams
Information and Agenda
Thursday, April 10, 6:30 p.m.
Independence Institute Citizen’s Guide to Civic Involvement
Online Meeting
Information and Agenda
View the full Colorado Springs City Council meeting schedule here to see upcoming meetings.
View the full Board of El Paso County Commissioners meeting schedule here to see upcoming meetings.
View the full Colorado Springs Utilities Board meeting schedule here to see upcoming meetings. Please also follow CSU on their Facebook Page and on Twitter.
Don't forget to subscribe to our YouTube Channel. Since most of the City and County board and commission meetings are not televised or recorded, we are trying to remedy that. We now have a camera and tripod for volunteers to check out for future meetings.
If you have a tip about a story in the Pikes Peak region that you aren’t seeing reported, let us know. We will see what we can find out.
How to Contact City and County Officials:
City Hall
107 N. Nevada Avenue
Colorado Springs CO 80903
(719) 385-5986
Contact City Council
Mayor's Office
30 S Nevada Avenue, Suite 601
Colorado Springs, CO 80901
(719) 385-5900
Contact Mayors Office
County Commissioners
200 South Cascade Avenue, Suite 100
Colorado Springs, CO 80903-2202
Phone: (719) 520-7276
https://www.elpasoco.com/contact-us/
Thank you!
Rebecca
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