2016 Election
A ballot guide to Pueblo’s biggest issues
10 questions between the city and the county focus heavily on crime and marijuana.
Ballots have been mailed in Colorado and while the top of the ballot has been the source of much discontent across the country this election cycle, there’s also much to worry down ballot, in local elections.
For Pueblo, the major themes on the ballot center around crime and the future of marijuana — both things the city and county governments have been trying to figure out for years, and have pushed previous similar questions.
The following are the questions that fall into the marijuana, public safety and project categories. While there are a few more questions on the local ballot, these heavily influence the city and county’s future, no matter the vote.
Marijuana
City Ballot Question 2B: Retail Marijuana Stores
What you’re deciding: Whether to allow retail marijuana stores in the City of Pueblo.
Yes means: You support allowing retail marijuana stores to open within city limits.
No means: You don’t want retail marijuana stores to operate in city limits.
City Ballot Question 2C: Retail Marijuana Stores Taxes
What you’re deciding: Whether to allow the city to tax retail marijuana stores in the City of Pueblo, if approved by voters.
Yes means: You approve a 4.3 percent tax on the sale of marijuana and marijuana products in city limits — this can increase or decrease, but is not to exceed 15 percent.
No means: You are not in favor of taxing marijuana and its products if sold in Pueblo city limits.
City Ballot Question 300 and County Ballot 200: Prohibition of Marijuana Establishments
What you’re deciding: To ban recreational marijuana stores from operating in Pueblo City Limits and prohibiting the operation of any retail marijuana establishments that currently exist. For city voters this question will be labeled 300, for the county it will be labeled 200.
Yes means: You support banning retail marijuana stores, grows and manufacturing facilities within city limits.
No means: You do not support banning retail marijuana stores and similar business in the City of Pueblo, but you are not voting to allow it either.
Public Safety
City Ballot Question 2A: 1/2 Cent Sales Tax for Public Safety, Streets and Parks
What you’re deciding: To increase sales tax by one-half cent to pay for public safety, parks and roads.
For means: You agree to raise the sales tax in exchange for what the city says will pay for more than 20 new police officers,
Against means: You do not want taxes to be one-half cent more than they currently are, and there will be no additional funds for the city to use on public safety, parks and roads.
City Ballot Question 301: Citizen’s Violence and Crime Reduction Act
What you’re deciding: Whether to allow a one-quarter cent sales tax increase in the City of Pueblo for 1o years to raise funds for public safety, including crime prevention. This ordinance includes a citizen oversight panel that would oversee financial audits.
Yes means: You approve the one-quarter cent sales tax to fund public safety and an additional layer of oversight to city government.
No means: You do not approve the tax that would set aside money to fund public safety and add another oversight group to the city.
Projects
Pueblo County Ballot Issue 1A: Retaining TABOR funds for capital projects
What you’re deciding: Whether Pueblo County can keep excess tax funds for capital projects such as parks and roads, rather than refunding the TABOR funds back to taxpayers for 10 years.
Yes means: You support the county keeping excise tax money for completing multiple capital projects.
No means: You do not want the county to withhold TABOR rebates, and would rather have that money paid back to Pueblo County taxpayers.
** A full list of projects can be found here.
County Ballot Issue 1B: Studying the potential consolidation of Pueblo City and County government
What you’re deciding: Whether the county and city should look into consolidating governments again — consolidation was studied in 1998. No definite action of consolidation would come from this question if approved.
Yes means: You approve the city and county looking into the possibility of combining the two governments.
No means: You do not want the city and county to cooperatively look into consolidating the government to one home-rule government.
