After reading the editorial comments that Mr. Damman and Ms. Gray made in their letters to the editor in the April 2005 New Falcon Herald, I am compelled to respond to their letters and address the errors and misstatements.As a Falcon Exploratory Committee member and a resident of the Falcon area, I am very concerned about the future of this area and the type of community we live in today and tomorrow. I am doing this because I want a say in my future in the community in which I live. I am also the sole member of the Ways and Means Committee and one of only two members of the Budget and Finance Committee.Now to Mr. Damman’s first point: The March issue of the New Falcon Herald did not make it clear that Colorado Springs has no interest now or in the future in annexing in the Falcon area.Using the March issue of the New Falcon Herald, the first quote I reference is “Despite the fact that several city of Colorado Springs officials, including Mayor Lionel Rivera and Councilwoman Margaret Radford, have publicly stated that there are no plans or even discussions of annexing Falcon.” This gives us the current view of only two members of the city. Mayor Rivera’s reputation as a “fence walker” (going with the political winds) precedes him, and just because today there may not be any plans doesn’t mean there won’t be tomorrow. One only has to drive down Tamlin Road about a mile from Farmer Jim’s, and you will see the annexation sign and the posted city of Colorado Springs speed limit. Some of you may even have seen the CSPD officer there using radar for traffic enforcement. That puts Colorado Springs very close.”The city of Colorado Springs appears to be uninterested in annexing Falcon now or anytime soon” (from Mr. Litzelman, senior planner for the city of Colorado Springs). “Appears to be” is a far cry from there are no plans now or any time soon. The only date given to us was the remainder of 2005. If one thing all citizens should be cautious of is just how fast government can change its mind.Yes, the article did mention other issues that present challenges to annexation but none that would be insurmountable should the city of Colorado Springs decide it needs more money. So the need to take the rural community of Falcon to the government entity of the city of Falcon has not been refuted, especially in light of self-rule, the ability to stand together as a city when water becomes an issue in the future, representation with the new expressway mentioned in the April issue, etc.Mr. Damman’s second point and Ms. Gray’s point dovetail each other, and I now address them together. I do not know how anyone has made the link that the $2 million in sales tax equates to property tax. Sales tax doesn’t equal property tax. Never has. Also, the figure of 5,000 homes is in error as the “roof tops” counted by the fire district are 9,000-plus. To make a connection to Centennial or Manitou Springs is disingenuous at best. We have looked at these cities and other more recently incorporated municipalities as examples to learn from. We want to see what they went through, what went well and what could have been done better. Some of these cities have already provided us with helpful information, and some have officials that have already given their time.As far as the $2 million dollars sales tax revenue, most of us are already paying it every time we shop in Colorado Springs. Any of you go to Sam’s, Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Lowe’s, restaurants, movies, etc., in the city? Well, you pay a total of 7.4 percent in sales tax with 2.5 percent of it going directly to the city of Colorado Springs that you in Falcon will never see. Are Mr. Damman and Ms. Gray suggesting we should not spend our own money in our own community? Would it not be nice to see our sales tax come back to us through the city of Falcon instead of disappearing into a city we don’t live in? Additionally, as a city we would receive a portion of road taxes, vehicle registration fees, and any fines the police department writes, etc.Space is short in an editorial so I will address the rest of their financial concerns by asking them to join us on the Ways & Means committee and to join us on the Budget & Finance Committee. You are most welcome and we look forward to your participation on these committees.Steven C. GrigsbyFalcon
