El Paso County chair highlights $150M in ARPA spending, road projects and 'Pikes Peak Promise' public-safety push

Carrie Geithner, chair of the El Paso County Board of Commissioners, told an audience at the Colorado Springs Chamber of Commerce State of the Region that El Paso County is using federal and local funds to pay for infrastructure, public-safety priorities and transparency initiatives while advancing a regional policy package called the Pikes Peak Promise.

Geithner said the county has tracked and reported American Rescue Plan Act spending and sought to direct funds to projects with “exponential impact,” noting a total of $150,000,000 in taxpayer funds referenced for reporting and transparency purposes. “We carefully considered how those dollars could be utilized in a responsible way that would alleviate burdens on the future generations,” she said.

The county chair listed a series of capital investments the commission has prioritized. She said roughly $149,700,000 has been invested in roads since 2017 using a mix of permanent, one-time and federal funds in addition to the baseline budget. Major projects named include the South Academy Boulevard improvement project, with a stated budget of $73,000,000 and substantial completion anticipated in 2026; phase A of the Highway 105 project near Monument, listed at $30,000,000 with substantial completion expected this year; and the Rex and Meridian Road project completed in November at $10,000,000. Geithner also said the county has tripled the number of lane miles maintained under its gravel road dust abatement program and moved to a data-driven preservation program recognized with Colorado Asphalt Paving Awards.

Geithner described targeted wastewater investments in small towns. She said El Paso County funded a replacement wastewater treatment plant in Rhema with a $2,000,000 investment to ensure state compliance, public-health protections and long-term service for that community. The county also funded upgrades in Calhan that Geithner said extended the life of that facility by about 20 years.

On accountability, Geithner credited county finance staff — naming CFO Nikki Simmons and Deputy Chief Financial Officer Amanda Grant — for a transparency effort that she said earned the county’s finance department a nationwide award from the National Association of Counties.

Geithner introduced a regional policy initiative the board is promoting called the Pikes Peak Promise, which she described as organized around unlocking opportunity, addressing cost-of-living pressures and strengthening public safety. As part of the opportunity pillar, Geithner said the county supported legislation to allow licensure and credentialing from other states to be honored in Colorado for certain professions and noted the governor signed “four opportunity bills” into law. She also said the board supported House Bill 24 10 52, which the speaker said was signed into law in June 2024, and that senior tax-relief measures were a priority.

On public safety, Geithner said the county backed measures to ensure sentences are enforced and highlighted voter-approved changes referenced in the speech as “Proposition 1 28,” which she said passed with about 62% of the vote and will require certain violent offenders to serve at least 85% of their sentences. Geithner credited local partners, including District Attorney Michael Allen and groups that supported Proposition 1 28.

Geithner addressed immigration and intergovernmental legal efforts, saying the board joined Douglas County and Sheriff Bridal in litigation challenging state restrictions on local law enforcement cooperation with federal authorities; she said the county did not obtain relief in that court challenge but continues to support legislative repeal of those state provisions. She also said the board passed a resolution expressing support for then-President Trump’s executive orders; the speech did not provide a resolution number or a vote tally.

Geithner emphasized property-tax relief actions by the commission, saying the board reduced the county portion of a 2024 property-tax increase by over $20,000,000, has regularly issued TABOR refunds and has advocated at the state legislature for additional relief.

The speech interwove references to local parks, fairs and community programs — including the Falcon Kite Festival, the county fair and partnerships that led to donations of livestock to the Springs Rescue Mission — as examples of community ties and the county’s service focus.

Geithner concluded with a pledge to continue the county’s strategic-plan approach and a public dashboard to track progress on key projects and metrics. “Every appointee we designate, every dollar we spend, every policy we enact will be aimed at forging a future that reflects the values we were elected to uphold,” she said.

Ending: Geithner invited regional partners and business leaders to support the Pikes Peak Promise as a coalition-building exercise rather than a binding policy commitment, and she closed by reiterating the county’s emphasis on transparency, infrastructure and public safety as central priorities.