Issues

During the summer of 2006, the Board of Directors commissioned an analysis of the economic and fiscal impact of suburban El Paso County residents on the general fund of the City of Colorado Springs. The analysis was conducted by David Bamberger and Associates, and the final report is posted here.

There is a commonly held myth that suburban areas place a burden and a drain on core cities. While there are many economic analyses that have clearly demonstrated that the economic well being of both core cities and their suburban neighbors are inextricably linked, the myth has permeated the governmental entities of El Paso County for many years and has taken an intractable hold on the conventional wisdom of many public officials. The Board of Directors of the Palmer Divide Water Group commissioned the Bamberger group to determine whether or not the myth had any validity in El Paso County.

The Board of Directors of the Pikes Peak Water Authority is continuing the seminal work prepared by Bamberger and Associates and will make future studies available to the media and the public as they are completed. In addition, the Board of Directors reaffirms the Authority's commitment to pursue regional strategies to address the issues of water supply and water conservation.

Based on the analysis conducted by the Bamberger group, there is irrefutable empirical evidence that the suburban areas of El Paso County provide a net gain of several millions of dollars directly to the general fund of the City of Colorado Springs. The following three documents make up the study, conclusions and technical data prepared by David Bamberger and Associates:

The Fiscal Impact of Suburban El Paso County Residents on the City of Colorado Springs General Fund

Growth-Interdependence-Cooperation: The City of Colorado Springs and its Surrounding Communities

Technical Appendices, Background Research, Trends and Observations to Growth-Interdependence- Cooperation: The City of Colorado Springs and Its Surrounding Communities