November 7 Election
Ballot Issues & School Board Candidates

The HBA's Board of Directors has voted on the following positions for the ballot initiatives in the November election and has made financial contributions as an organization to the respective campaigns to ensure the measures are approved. 
The Nov. 7 Colorado Springs city election is a mail-in ballot election.
Voters can return their ballots by mail or at these drop-off locations until 7 PM Tuesday, Nov. 7. If you have not received your ballot, you will need to register online and fill out a ballot at the City Clerk's office.  
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The Gazette recently announced its endorsements of the ballot initiatives, which align with those of the HBA. Read the article on prioritizing I-25 
​and addressing the city’s stormwater needs from the Gazette's editorial board.
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Watch this short video from El Paso County Commissioner Mark Waller on voting YES on 1A & 5B.

Quick Links
Ballot Issues
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ISSUE 1A - El Paso County TABOR Request
  • HBA Position: Support  PASSED
  • Ballot Language: WITHOUT IMPOSING NEW TAXES OR RAISING TAX RATES, SHALL EL PASO COUNTY BE PERMITTED TO RETAIN AND SPEND $14,548,000 IN EXCESS 2016 REVENUE AS A VOTER-APPROVED REVENUE CHANGE PURSUANT TO TABOR (ARTICLE X, SECTION 20 OF THE COLORADO CONSTITUTION) TO INVEST ONLY IN THE FOLLOWING INFRASTRUCTURE: • THE I-25 CORRIDOR GAP LOCAL SHARE AND OTHER ROADWAY SAFETY AND IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS, UP TO $12 MILLION; • DISASTER RECOVERY PROJECTS; AND • PARKS, TRAILS AND OPEN SPACE PROJECTS, WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT SUCH EXCESS REVENUE WOULD OTHERWISE BE REFUNDED ONLY TO TAXABLE REAL PROPERTY OWNERS AS A ONE-TIME TAX CREDIT (EXAMPLE: APPROXIMATELY $40 FOR A TYPICAL SINGLE-FAMILY HOME VALUED AT $250,000), AND TO RETAIN AND SPEND IN THE 2017 FISCAL YEAR AND THEREAFTER AN AMOUNT OF REVENUE THAT EXCEEDS CURRENT TABOR LIMITATIONS BUT IS NO GREATER THAN THE COUNTY REVENUE CAP, WHICH CONTINUES TO LIMIT FUTURE REVENUE GROWTH AS PROVIDED IN RESOLUTION NO. 17-244

ISSUE 2A - City Stormwater Service Fee 
  • HBA Position: Support  PASSED
  • Ballot Language: Without imposing any new tax or increasing any existing taxes, shall Ordinance No. 17-69 of the City of Colorado Springs be approved authorizing: the collection of stormwater service fees beginning July 1, 2018 and ending July 1, 2038, for the sole purpose of funding through a City enterprise, the construction, improvement, operation and maintenance of public stormwater facilities and a public stormwater system in the City, including regulatory permit compliance and protection of life and property within the City from the hazards of flooding and stormwater, to be assessed on all developed real property within the City, with such fees not to exceed the following maximum amounts: Residential property: $5.00 per dwelling unit/month Non-residential property: $30.00 per acre/month providing that such fees may be thereafter increased by City Council by Resolution only to the extent required to comply with a valid court order, federal or state permits, federal or state laws, and intergovernmental agreements of the City entered into before June 1, 2016; and providing for citizen advisory committee oversight?

ISSUE 5B - El Paso County PPRTA Project List ​
  • HBA Position: Support  PASSED
  • Ballot Language: WITHOUT INCREASING TAXES, SHALL THE 2012 VOTER-APPROVED LIST OF SPECIFIC REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS PROJECTS FUNDED BY THE EXISTING 0.55% (FIFTY-FIVE ONE HUNDREDTHS OF ONE PENNY PER DOLLAR) PIKES PEAK RURAL TRANSPORTATION AUTHORITY (PPRTA) SALES AND USE TAX, WHICH SUNSETS ON DECEMBER 31, 2024, BE AMENDED TO INCLUDE THE FOLLOWING PROJECT: REGIONAL COLLABORATIVE PROJECTS: • CDOT I-25 ROADWAY IMPROVEMENTS - LOCAL CONTRIBUTION: STATE HIGHWAY 105 NORTH TO COUNTY LINE ROAD WITH THIS PROJECT BEING ELIGIBLE FOR FUNDING, IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $10,000,000.00 IN PPRTA CONTRIBUTIONS, AT ANY TIME REGARDLESS OF THE STATUS OF THE PREVIOUSLY APPROVED PRIORITY "A" PROJECTS AND PRIORITY "B" PROJECTS?

ISSUE 3A - Widefield School District 3
  • HBA Position: Support  PASSED
  • Ballot Language: SHALL WIDEFIELD SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 3 TAXES BE INCREASED $3.5 MILLION IN 2018 AND ANNUALLY THEREAFTER BY AN AMOUNT THAT, WHEN COMBINED WITH OTHER TAXES PREVIOUSLY APPROVED BY DISTRICT VOTERS IN 2002 FOR THE DISTRICT'S GENERAL FUND, EQUALS TEN PERCENT OF THE DISTRICT'S TOTAL PROGRAM AS PROVIDED BY STATE LAW (AS SUCH TERM IS DEFINED IN STATE LAW OR ANY SIMILAR TERMS PROVIDED IN ANY SUCCESSOR PROVISION OF STATE LAW), BY THE LEVY OF PROPERTY TAXES FOR THE DISTRICT'S GENERAL FUND AT A RATE THAT WILL PRODUCE AN AMOUNT EQUAL TO TEN PERCENT OF THE DISTRICT'S TOTAL PROGRAM, TO FUND DISTRICT OPERATIONS INCLUDING, AMONG OTHER THINGS: • RECOVERING A PORTION OF CUTS IN STATE FUNDING TO ENHANCE DISTRICT STEM, READING, WRITING, AND MATH PROGRAMS, • RECRUITING AND RETAINING HIGH QUALITY TEACHERS AND STAFF, • REDUCING CLASS SIZES AND SUSTAINING INNOVATIVE ACADEMIC PROGRAMMING, • COVERING OPERATING COSTS RELATED TO A NEW SCHOOL FACILITY FOR PRE-K THROUGH 8TH GRADE, AND • ENSURING THAT STUDENTS HAVE ACCESS TO EXPANDING TECHNOLOGY?
 
Issue 3B -Widefield School District 3
  • HBA Position: Support  PASSED
  • Ballot Language: SHALL WIDEFIELD SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. 3 DEBT BE INCREASED $49.5 MILLION, WITH A REPAYMENT COST OF UP TO $89 MILLION, AND SHALL DISTRICT TAXES BE INCREASED BY UP TO $3.6 MILLION ANNUALLY FOR THE PURPOSE OF ACQUIRING, CONSTRUCTING, REFINANCING, REPAIRING AND IMPROVING DISTRICT CAPITAL ASSETS INCLUDING, AMONG OTHER THINGS: • MAKING DISTRICT-WIDE REPAIRS AND IMPROVEMENTS TO SCHOOL BUILDINGS TAKING INTO CONSIDERATION COMMUNITY INPUT AT EACH SCHOOL, • BUILDING A NEW PRE-K THROUGH 8TH GRADE SCHOOL IN THE EASTERN PART OF THE DISTRICT, • UPGRADING COMPUTER AND INTERNET TECHNOLOGY AT ALL SCHOOLS, • ADDING SURVEILLANCE CAMERAS AND LIFE-SAFETY SYSTEMS TO ENHANCE STUDENT SECURITY, • REDUCING THE NUMBER OF STUDENTS IN TRAILER-LIKE PORTABLE CLASSROOMS, • RENOVATING AUDITORIUMS AT WIDEFIELD HIGH SCHOOL AND MESA RIDGE HIGH SCHOOL, • REPAIRING OR REPLACING OUTDATED ELECTRICAL COMPONENTS AND SYSTEMS IN SCHOOLS, • UPGRADING THE DISTRICT'S AGING SCHOOL BUS FLEET, AND • REFINANCING EXISTING DISTRICT LEASE OBLIGATIONS, BY THE ISSUANCE AND PAYMENT OF GENERAL OBLIGATION BONDS WHICH SHALL BEAR INTEREST, MATURE, BE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION, WITH OR WITHOUT PREMIUM, AND BE ISSUED AT SUCH TIME, AT SUCH PRICE (AT, ABOVE OR BELOW PAR) AND IN SUCH MANNER AND CONTAINING SUCH TERMS, NOT INCONSISTENT WITH THIS BALLOT ISSUE, AS THE BOARD OF EDUCATION MAY DETERMINE; AND SHALL AD VALOREM PROPERTY TAXES BE LEVIED WITHOUT LIMIT AS TO THE MILL RATE TO GENERATE AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT IN EACH YEAR TO PAY THE PRINCIPAL OF, PREMIUM IF ANY, AND INTEREST ON SUCH DEBT AND TO FUND ANY RESERVES FOR THE PAYMENT THEREOF?

Issue 3D - Cheyenne Mountain School District 12
  • HBA Position: Support  PASSED
  • Ballot Language: MAY THE DISTRICT COLLECT THE PROPERTY TAX REVENUES PERMITTED BY C.R.S. 22-54-108 AS PREVIOUSLY APPROVED BY DISTRICT VOTERS IN 2011 NOTWITHSTANDING ANY MILL LEVY LIMITATION?

Issue 3E – Colorado Springs School District 11
  • HBA Position: Support  PASSED
  • Ballot Language: SHALL SCHOOL DISTRICT 11 TAXES BE INCREASED $42 MILLION DOLLARS ANNUALLY WHICH SHALL BE USED TO FUND EDUCATIONAL NEEDS INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO: • ATTRACTING AND RETAINING HIGH QUALITY TEACHERS AND SUPPORT STAFF, NOT TO INCLUDE ADMINISTRATORS, BY OFFERING SALARIES AND BENEFITS THAT ARE COMPETITIVE WITH OTHER SCHOOL DISTRICTS; • EXTENDING THE LIFE OF EXISTING SCHOOLS BY REPAIRING, MAINTAINING, AND MODERNIZING AGING BUILDINGS; • EXPANDING TECHNOLOGY ACCESS TO MORE STUDENTS BY UPGRADING AND REPLACING OUTDATED COMPUTERS AND EQUIPMENT; • IMPROVING STUDENT SAFETY AND SECURITY BY ADDING A SCHOOL RESOURCE OFFICER AT EVERY MIDDLE SCHOOL; • SUPPORTING STUDENT SUCCESS BY PROVIDING MORE SCHOOL COUNSELORS, NURSES, PSYCHOLOGISTS, OR SOCIAL WORKERS; AND • REDUCING LONG-TERM INTEREST COSTS BY PAYING OFF EXISTING DEBT SOONER; THE DISTRICT SHALL ENSURE ACCOUNTABILITY WITH A CITIZENS OVERSIGHT COMMITTEE WHICH SHALL ANNUALLY REVIEW AND REPORT TO THE PUBLIC ON THE USE OF FUNDS; FOR 2019 AND THEREAFTER SHALL SUCH REVENUES BE ADJUSTED ANNUALLY FOR INFLATION; AND SHALL THE DISTRICT BE ALLOWED TO COLLECT, RETAIN AND SPEND THE FULL AMOUNT OF THESE REVENUES AS A VOTER APPROVED REVENUE CHANGE AND SHALL THE MILL LEVY AUTHORIZED BY THIS QUESTION BE EXCLUDED FROM PREVIOUS LIMITS WHICH WOULD OTHERWISE APPLY?
School Board Candidates
The HBA Political Action Committee has voted on the following school board candidates:

Colorado Springs School District 11 Director: 
Shawn Gullixson  ELECTED
Jim Mason  ELECTED
 
Academy School District 20 Director
Karin Reynolds  ELECTED
Thomas Lavalley  ELECTED
​William H. Temby  ELECTED