Pro 15 spends 2 days in Holyoke planning 2018-19

    Progressive 15 spent two days in Holyoke planning for the ballot this fall, updating their policies and resolutions and hearing from candidates and speakers on property rights and transportation.
    The Transportation Summit highlighted the needs for a statewide transportation system upgrade. According to Pro 15, 78 percent of Colorado roads will need to be repaired in the next 10 years but the state lacks the budget to do this. Potholes and rough roads cost the average Colorado driver $468 in repairs each year.
    They also noted that the last time the gas tax was raised on both a state and federal level was in 1992-93. Twenty-five years ago, Colorado spent $125 per driver on transportation and now spends $69 per driver.
    Pro 15, which was established as an advocacy group to affect legislation and policy that impact the 15 counties in northeast Colorado, is supporting Initiative 153 and is actively gathering signatures to get it on the ballot for a vote. This will increase sales tax by 0.62 percent — a little more than half a penny. This funding will be distributed throughout the state, has a 20-year sunset and provides flexible transportation money. Forty-five percent will go to the state highway fund and will give a revenue stream to pay off bonding for large projects. Forty percent will go to local cities (20 percent) and counties (20 percent), and 15 percent will go into a multimodal fund. After working on this issue for over 10 years, Pro 15 feels it is a good compromise to make sure every part of the state will be helped.

The full article is available in our e-Edition. Click here to subscribe.