Hello,

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

Good morning,

The ballot measure that allows the sale of recreational marijuana in our city has to be overturned because the process by which it was approved is too badly flawed.

Ballot measure 300 is now causing significant and harmful effects which the voters were not expecting.

Manitou Springs losing one third of their general fund constitutes great and lasting harm.

Voters approved the measure without having any idea that it might do harm to the city of Manitou Springs.

In order to be considered a fair election all consequences of a measure must be discussed in  public before the vote.

A legitimate ballot measure may not produce accidental or unintended effects.

The measure was also very poorly written. Some people voted to ban recreational sales and also to approve sales in our city.

That is a huge problem.

49% voted to ban the sale of recreational.

55% voted to allow it.

The first part of 300 described strict prohibitions on the sale of recreational, it gave the impression that it was opposed to sales.

Only at the end did it state that it allows the sale of recreational.

Ballot measures are difficult for many people to read and understand, some people may not have read 300 all of the way though.

Have our Mayor and City Council discussed these issues with the City Attorney's office?

You were elected to represent the people, the people you represent have an urgent need to understand.

The ballot measure to allow recreational marijuana sales in 2022 failed because the people of our city do not want recreational sales in our city.

The measure that passed in 2024 was approved because of a flawed and incomplete public discussion and the ballot issue being written poorly.

The entire thing is suspicious.

Our city is not turning from conservative to liberal.

This is one of the most conservative cities in the nation.

The approval of ballot measure 300 was flawed.

The people were deceived, confused and cheated.

The process that led to the approval of that measure does not qualify as a fair election.

If backers of the sale of recreational marijuana in our city want it approved they are required to conduct a fair, open and comprehensive process.

They did not do so.

I am urging our elected representatives to now get the people of our city up to date on these issues.

We send our youth out to fight and even die for things like fair elections, how dare anyone conduct a flawed process for this unwanted ballot measure.

Thank you, Carl Strow.