COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KOAA) — On Tuesday, Colorado Springs City Council members voted to move forward with a plan to increase security along South Nevada Avenue.
- Watch News5's coverage of the proposal below:
The area covered is from Mill Street to Cheyenne Road. The Colorado Springs Police Department says calls for service to that stretch of South Nevada Avenue have increased 18% in a year.
City council voted to contract with the Colorado Springs Urban Renewal Authority to provide security. The contract is $758,000, with $458,000 coming from the recreational marijuana special sales tax.
The retail marijuana tax is expected to bring in more than $4.1 million. So far this year, it has generated nearly $1.6 million in tax revenue, according to the sales tax reports for the City of Colorado Springs. The report says last year, the tax brought in nearly $1.9 million.
The money can only be spent on the following three categories:
- public safety programs
- mental health services
- PTSD programs for veterans
The City of Colorado Springs budget shows $200,000 of that will go to PTSD programs and $3.9 million to public safety.
A spokesperson for the city says there is not specific funding in the mental health services category, however, the ballot language does not require spending on all three categories.
A second vote on the issue is expected to happen in early August.
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