Tax Proceeds May Set the Stage for New Local Convenience Store
Rick Langenberg
Only one catch: the voters must give the okay this November for a .50 cent sales tax hike. If successful, the stage could be set for the old marshal’s office to serve as a pilot, economic development project, with the possibility of the space becoming a corner, convenience store.
“We really need a convenience store,” admitted Town Manager Caleb Patterson, who cited a variety of needed services in the community, following last week’s regular board of trustees meeting.
The trustees on May 5 agreed to put the issue on the November ballot for a small sale tax hike for four years.
Under this plan, the town would own the facility and lease the space to a business operator. Although a variety of uses have been discussed, a convenience store, or maybe an outdoor accessory outlet, appears to be gaining the most support.
The trustees, at their May 5 meetings, agreed on ballot language, calling for a .50 cent sales tax hike, with the money going towards revitalizing the old marshal’s office building, and possibly used or other capital improvement projects. Trustee Sean Ives cast the sole dissenting vote for the plan, promptly approved by the board on Tuesday evening.
It is estimated that the town could get close to $60,000 a year from the extra sales tax funds.
For nearly two years, town leaders have toiled over a ballot proposal to present to the voters. They even mulled putting the question of operating with a town manager style of government up for a local vote.
But in the end, the elected leaders took a more conservative approach and only wanted to ask for a small sales tax hike, which would bring the local sales taxes on all goods to a 3.5 percent level.
Patterson, who has presented many economic development prospects for GMF, noted that the town is shifting revenue-wise from a community that funds services primarily from property taxes to one that generates most of their funds from sales tax revenue. This trend is expected to continue in this direction even more for 2026.
Revitalizing the old marshal’s office won’t be a cheap project and could cost $200,000-plus. The building has major asbestos problems and needs much rehab work.
Still, this venture has captured the support of most trustees, especially in using this site to spearhead more economic development and needed services. Currently, the building just sits downtown in an idle fashion and continues to experience deterioration.
However, the proposition must gain voter approval before it can move ahead. The ballot proposition will mark the first sale tax increase plan in about 20 years.
Historically, a sales tax levy has a better chance of voter approval because the money is being paid by visitors and not just residents.
Slow It Down, Please
In other GMF news, the crackdown on excessive speeders in the downtown and town area continues at an aggressive pace.
Plus, local officials are renewing lobbying efforts to get more speed cameras, stationed on U.S. Hwy. 24 in the GMF area. This stretch of the main highway is regarded as particularly hazardous, with some drivers recorded traveling at nearly 100 miles-per- hour. “We have a significant amount of people speeding in this area,” said Marshal Sean Goings at their May 5 meeting.
The Colorado Department of Transportation recently denied the town’s request to add cameras on the main highway but left the door open for more negotiations with the El Paso County Sheriff’s Office. Goings reported progress in relaying their concerns with regional law officers, despite El Paso County Sheriff Joseph Roybal’s opposition to these devices.
“We are making some headway,” said Goings, who reported top El Paso County law officers becoming quite alarmed by the recent speed studies.
Meanwhile, the crackdown on speeders downtown is still increasing, with little signs of out-of-town motorists slowing down.
In the most recent recording month, Goings reported the issuing of 419 citations for speeding in April, marking an increase of 74 tickets from the previous month. This trend could increase even more, as town plans to add more state-of-the-art cameras, which will be positioned in the park area. Currently, cameras are located more on the east-end of town, with many tickets issued to motorists from the Cascade/Chipita Park area.
Oddly enough, very few of the speeding citations are being issued to local residents.
Tougher Fire Restrictions Approved
The GMF Trustees wasted little time last week in okaying the new Colorado Fire Resiliency Code with a few adjustments.
This followed a public hearing that generated mixed views, but a strong sense of endorsement by the town’s Wildfire Mitigation Advisory Committee. “The benefits outweigh the costs,” said Paul Yingling, the chairman of the committee, when addressing the trustees last week.
The new rules will mainly affect new construction and additions and could play a role in impacting future insurance premiums. The rules also establish the groundwork for ways to better mitigate properties through the adoption of defensible space standards. The wildfire mitigation committed has offered free inspections of local properties. If interested, email the group at FMAC@GMFCO.Us.
Changes were made to the code concerning the proposed excessive fines. Town leaders still have to finalize how they plan to enforce the new rules.
