Mr. Grigsby’s letter in the May 2005 issue of the NFH was helpful in the Falcon incorporation debate. As Mr. Grigsby writes in his letter, “SEVERAL CITY OF COLORADO SPRINGS OFFICIALS HAVE PUBLICLY STATED THERE ARE NO PLANS OR EVEN DISCUSSIONS OF ANNEXING FALCON.” Though I agree with Mr. Grigsby that government officials’ statements should be heard with skepticism, I have not heard any Falcon incorporation advocate official offer a logical argument as to why we should fear a Colorado Springs annexation at this time.I believe the Colorado Springs annexation of the Broadmoor area, perhaps 20 or 25 years ago, was the last time Colorado Springs annexed a largely populated area that did not request annexation. That annexation was logical for Colorado Springs because of the taxes to be collected from the Broadmoor Hotel. I do not see such a tax contributor in the Falcon area. Thus, I do not understand Mr. Grigsby’s fear that Colorado Springs will swoop in during the dead of night and annex Falcon. A Falcon annexation would subject Colorado Springs to all the short and long-term costs of an annexation with no large tax contributor in Falcon to offset the annexation cost.From my memory of the Broadmoor annexation, I believe the City of Colorado Springs was required by law to surround the Broadmoor area in order for Colorado Springs to annex an area that did not seek by request or vote to be annexed. Thus, it is NOT possible for Colorado Springs to annex Falcon without a vote from the people of Falcon. It seems to me FALCON IS NOT IN IMMEDIATE OR EVEN LONG TERM RISK OF BEING ANNEXED without an approval vote by the people of Falcon. Perhaps Mr. Grigsby or someone else from the Falcon incorporation group could research the legal provisions regarding annexation and see if the law has been changed since the time of the Broadmoor annexation. ***As Mr. Grigsby correctly points out, when I shop at Sam’s, Home Depot, etc., my sales tax money goes to Colorado Springs. However, even if Falcon was incorporated today, when I shop at Sam’s, Home Depot, etc., my sales tax money would still go to Colorado Springs. Falcon does not get a cut of my sales tax money just because I live in Falcon, as Mr. Grigsby seems to imply. A Falcon incorporation does not change where my sales tax money goes. However, today it is to my advantage to buy everything I can in Falcon to avoid the Colorado Springs sales tax. With a sales tax in Falcon, that advantage for Falcon businesses disappears.Mr. Grigsby states he believes the projected $2 million budget for Falcon is realistic. He further states the families in the Falcon incorporation area number over 9,000. (I do not see 9,000 roofs in the Falcon incorporation area, but the trees may be in the way of my view and, therefore, I will use Mr. Grigsby’s 9,000 number.) If we divide 9,000 families into the projected Falcon budget, the result is a cost of over $200 per year per family for the proposed Falcon incorporation. In paying for this cost, I do not understand Mr. Grigsby’s statement that a sales tax does not equate to a property tax. A tax is a tax is a tax. It does not matter what the tax is called; it is still a cost to me whether it is a sales tax, a property tax, a vehicle license fee, an excise tax, etc.Mr. Grigsby projects a yearly tax cost of over $200 per family for his Falcon incorporation. For my over $200 cost per year, Mr. Grigsby indicates in his letter that my benefit would be that Mr. Grigsby would have a little more say in the future of the Falcon area. I would like to suggest to Mr. Grigsby that he let all of us Falcon families keep our $200 and that Mr. Grigsby volunteer to assist the various El Paso County committees when they are discussing issues concerning the Falcon area. This way, Mr. Grigsby can get his increased say and we all can keep our money.In The Monkey Chronicles of the June 2005 issue of the NFH, Marylou Doehrman wrote that Mr. Art Van Sant, an advocate for Falcon incorporation, suggested our purchases of groceries at Safeway be taxed to support the incorporation of Falcon. It would seem Mr. Van Sant prefers Falcon residents drive down the road a bit to the Wal-Mart where our groceries will be much cheaper because they do not have the added cost of his grocery sales tax. As Mr. Van Sant’s grocery sales tax makes Safeway less able to compete with Wal-Mart, the Safeway may be forced to close. An empty Safeway store will certainly detract from the sense of community and loyalty to the community of Falcon so eloquently written about in The Monkey Chronicles. Perhaps Mr. Van Sant could join Mr. Grigsby and volunteer to assist the El Paso County committees. That way we Falcon residents can keep our Safeway and our money.Rod DammanWoodmen Hills***The NFH published an article on a Colorado Springs potential annexation earlier this year. The law has not changed. A vote would be required before the city government could annex the area.
