Hello,

This is my contribution to Citizen's Discussion at Tuesday's City Council meeting:

Good morning,

I read that the city of Manitou Springs has voted to reduce the tax that they charge on recreational marijuana sales from 10% to 5%.

Are they expecting to have to reduce services or layoff some employees sometime this year?

Are we hearing reports from Denver, Monument or Pueblo saying that their recreational marijuana sales have dropped significantly in the last month?

How could we have gone through two election cycles for recreational marijuana ballot measures and no one ever discussed harm to Manitou Springs?

Was there a criminal conspiracy to suppress the fact that great harm would be done to the city of Manitou Springs if we allowed the sale of recreational marijuana?

I cannot imagine any other reason for the omission.

If our city brings in $10 to $15 million a year and most of that is from sales taken away from Manitou Springs, they would lose twice that amount in tax revenue.

Their total available funds last year were around $50,000,000.

Is our city now taking $20,000,000 to $30,000,000 a year away from them?

I must ask if this was a “fair election”?

The law prevented Manitou Springs from defending itself.

Did our city exploit that issue with intent to do harm to Manitou Springs?

Our city will reap great financial gains from the sale of recreational marijuana.

I have heard rumors that our city has become upset with Manitou Springs over some issues involving the Manitou Incline.

Did our city enable this measure to pass by keeping voters in the dark with intent to retaliate against Manitou Springs?

Do any city officials have knowledge of a conspiracy to keep the public in the dark over the harm that measure 300 will do to the city of Manitou Springs?

If the city were aware of a conspiracy to keep voters in the dark, it would have to provide remedy.

If the city were aware that the public discussion on a ballot issue was one-sided or that voters were ignorant of the significant impacts that a measure would cause, the city would be obligated to provide remedy.

Thank you, Carl Strow