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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.
- The recent DEA raids on the illegal nightclub filled with illegal immigrants attracted national attention. The New York Times interviewed Mayor Mobolade on the subject. If you are blocked by the New York Times paywall, you can read the story here.
- President Trump has promised to sue states and other jurisdictions over sanctuary city policies. He has kept his promise and is suing Colorado for harboring and supporting illegal immigrants, including criminals and drug cartel members.
- A new Colorado law prohibits law enforcement agencies in the state from informing federal immigration authorities about illegal immigrants in Colorado jails. Also, it imposes a ridiculous $50,000 fine on individual law enforcement officers who do work with ICE. No, Attorney General Phil Weiser will not sue to defend law enforcement officers who protect your community. Your Colorado government does not work for you. They work for illegal aliens, vagrants, and criminals.
- Also in government lawsuit news, Colorado has sued the Trump administration 15 times in the span of three months. Observers in the know expect this number to rise and rise. Should your taxpayer dollars be used to allow radical leftists in Colorado to demonstrate their anti-Trump bona fides?
- One illegal immigrant, who was interviewed about President Donald Trump’s offer to pay $1,000 to every illegal immigrant who goes back home, calls this offer an insult. Well, in Colorado, he’s surely being paid far more than that in benefits and services provided by taxpayers. Some would find that insulting.
- One Fort Carson soldier, who was working security at the recently raided illegal alien nightclub, has been charged with distributing cocaine at this party. He’s claiming his mother-in-law is responsible for the illegal nightclub where the raid took place. Do you ever wonder if drug cartel members are being embedded into our military?
- The Woodland Park School District refused to provide spending allocation details for taxpayer funds that were being collected from a special sales tax. Because of this, the Woodland Park City Council revoked the sales tax. Now, the school district is cutting staff.
- In related news, citizens have turned in recall petitions for three of these Woodland Park City Council members. The recall attempt is a response to the revocation of this sales tax. After recall petition signatures were counted, only one of the three councilmembers will face a recall election.
- Thankfully, the 2025 legislative session in Colorado is in the final week. The downside is that the radical leftists save all the blatantly tyrannical bills they want to pass for the end of the session because the short timeframe gives them an excuse to subvert proper consideration and debate on the issues. Watch your backs, taxpayers and liberty lovers.
- The latest lawsuit to take away your TABOR protections has failed. Don’t worry though, they are most certainly scheming on another way to kill TABOR.
- A Colorado bill has been passed that will set aside $4 million in taxpayer funds to oppose Trump administration directives. This comes despite the legislature wailing and moaning all year about how desperately broke the state is. They don’t represent you. They represent themselves.
- You can expect your 2025 property valuation in the mail soon. Some people are reporting that their valuations have decreased.
- Would you like to provide input on the Downtown Colorado Springs Master Plan? Now is your chance.
- Violent assaults are on the increase in downtown Colorado Springs. Many of these assaults can be traced to the out-of-control vagrant problem in the city. One mother is pleading for increased safety measures in downtown, after her son was nearly murdered by a transient while waiting to cross the street. Why does the government expect us to tolerate uncivil behavior from the vagrant population?
- Remember last April when we were reading reports about a decline in public vagrancy? Well, a new study of the vagrant population shows that these numbers are increasing, not declining. When you pay them, they will come.
- The developers of the Karman Line Annexation project are framing the upcoming ballot measure as a way for you to challenge the monopoly Norwood has on development in Colorado Springs. They state that allowing them to build this flagpole annexation would show Norwood and the Colorado Springs City Council who the real boss is around here. Take that, Norwood! We are not persuaded.
- Also in developer news this week, apartment rents are now dropping in Colorado Springs for the first time in 10 years. Is the bubble bursting on Apartment City USA?
- Colorado Springs City Councilmember Nancy Henjum has big ideas for the Lodgers and Automobile Tax revenue being collected in the city. She would like to spend some of this money improving the Citadel Mall area, and also the blighted area off North Nevada Avenue. Maybe private dollars are a better option, Ms. Henjum.
- Manitou Springs has been awarded a $250,000 grant to make improvements to their Creek Walk Trail. These improvements will be nice for trail users and also urban campers in the area.
- Mayor Mobolade has kicked off his 2025 Community Tour with city councilmembers. Here is the master schedule of meetings. We will also keep you updated on the specific upcoming dates in our miscellaneous meeting section of this newsletter.
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We’re number 3! Colorado has been selected as the third-worst state for road rage.
- Radical leftists in the legislature have failed in their attempt to override Governor Polis’ veto of the bill to decrease transparency in government.
- Voters passed Proposition 123 in 2022. This allocates taxpayer money to create so-called affordable housing. Everything is affordable when taxpayers pick up the tab. Anyway, $47 million has now been awarded for various projects around Colorado. How much of this money do you think will be scooped up by politically connected government insiders?
- A bill that would have allowed churches to build housing on church land failed in the Colorado State Senate. It’s almost like they want the government to have a monopoly on building affordable homes.
- Free parking options in Old Colorado City were eliminated two years ago. What has been the impact on shoppers and business owners in the area?
- The Rocky Mountain Voice has published part three of their COVID Chronicles series. Remember when government officials demanded you stay 6 feet away from other people, and encouraged neighbors to tattle on each other?
- Many people from Colorado are donating vast sums of money to democrats, and they don’t even know it. A federal investigation is underway accusing the radical leftist political fundraising organization ActBlue of laundering money to democrats by using the names of random people who have donated in the past. Seems criminal, and the evidence is shocking.
- In related news, Colorado Secretary of State Jena Griswold says all mail-in election ballots are totally secure and not prone to fraud. This week, a postal service employee in Colorado admitted to stealing ballots for the 2024 election and even casting a few of them. Doesn’t seem very secure to us.
- Not only is it costly to live in Colorado, but Colorado citizens also have the highest personal debt of any other state. This is not a good trend.
- It’s that time of the year again. Colorado Springs Utilities water restrictions kicked off on May 1. So far, we’ve heard of no restrictions on annexations and development.
- Do you use your electric stove, air conditioning, or electric dryer between 5:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m.? Well, Colorado Springs Utilities has a plan to make that more expensive. Starting October 1, 2025, CSU’s “Energy Wise” tiered rate plan will go into effect. You will pay a higher rate to use energy during this time window. Using your air conditioner on hot evenings, cooking dinner for your family, and washing clothes after work will be more expensive for you.
- Remember when Colorado Springs Utilities demolished a perfectly good power plant that provided comparatively inexpensive, reliable energy? Colorado is eliminating reliable energy sources faster than the unreliable green energy fantasy can be built. You can thank Governor Jared Polis for this. His green energy mandates are driving up energy costs for everyone, so he can pat himself on the back.
- Speaking of the perfectly good power plant that was demolished, Colorado Springs Utilities has chosen a contractor to build new natural gas electric power generators near Colorado Springs Airport. Strange. They just tore down some natural gas generators at the Martin Drake plant.
- Colorado Springs Utilities held a virtual meeting to speak about the Horizon Utility Campus project near the airport. We recorded this meeting for you. What did we learn? Electric generation is so lacking that they almost cannot even meet peak demand now. Your electric bill will increase because of this project, as well as others. Do you think Colorado Springs should continue annexing and building like crazy, even though electricity production is strained now?
- In Pueblo, voters overwhelmingly rejected the proposal to get rid of Black Hills Energy. The proposal would have shifted its utilities management to the city of Pueblo.
- Also in Pueblo this week, the effort to recall Mayor Heather Graham has failed because not enough signatures were collected in the allotted timeframe.
- In Palmer Lake, the Board of Trustees is raising additional questions about the potential Buc-ee’s development.
- Some drivers from various high-tax states have been registering their vehicles in Montana in order to avoid high registration taxes in their home states. These states are now cracking down on that activity.
- 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, May 12, 9:00 a.m.
Colorado Springs City Council Work Session
107 N. Nevada, 3rd floor
Live stream link here
Agenda
Tuesday, May 13, 9:00 a.m.
Colorado Springs City Council
107 N. Nevada, 3rd floor
Live stream link here
Agenda
El Paso County Board of County Commissioners Meetings
Tuesday, May 13, 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, May 20, 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, May 21, 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 not yet posted
Miscellaneous Meetings of Interest
Monday, June 2, 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
Friday, May 23, 6:00 p.m.
2025 Report Out Community Tour with Mayor Mobolade and City Council
District 5/Central Meeting with Councilmember Nancy Henjum
755 Citadel Drive West, Suite 100, Unit A
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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