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Council agrees to RMJ buckets; public-safety, PTSD services and downtown pilot prioritized
Summary
Council reviewed proposed RMJ (marijuana tax) allocations and gave general concurrence to buckets that prioritize public safety, PTSD/mental‑health services and a downtown 'clean and safe' pilot; details and final appropriation remain subject to council oversight and formal ordinance language.
Colorado Springs — Councilmembers and the administration spent a large portion of the work session reviewing how marijuana tax (RMJ) revenue should be divided among voter-directed priorities: public safety, mental-health/PTSD treatment and other impacts.
Administration staff presented a draft allocation that would put roughly $3.2 million toward public-safety priorities (overtime, technology platforms such as Axon, academies and safety equipment), $200,000 toward PTSD/mental-health support and a separate downtown clean-and-safe pilot funded for 19 months.
Council members emphasized two recurring points: adherence to voter intent and the council’s role in setting allocations. Councilman Lineweber invoked the ballot language to argue council must exercise discretion over how RMJ money is split among the three categories; City Attorney staff confirmed the charter allows council to decide percentages and is not required to fund all three categories equally.
Several members asked for clarity about how funds will be spent and tracked. Finance staff and the chief of staff said RMJ revenue would be held in a separate account, each expenditure would carry a clear code and the city would track allocations (for example, academy classes or downtown pilot contract expenditures).
Public-safety chiefs’ priorities included funding for training academies (CSFD and CSPD), overtime for specialized officers, technology and equipment; Chief of Staff and council members noted the Fire Department had identified a 28-person academy as a priority if sufficient RMJ funding was available. “Chief Royal indicated a 28-person class would be a priority,” staff said.
Council also approved moving forward on a downtown clean-and-safe pilot subject to contract edits: members asked that the $700,000 pilot be restricted to the downtown partnership’s coverage area and redline the draft contract accordingly before execution.
Next steps: staff will finalize bucket language and expenditure codes and will return ordinance documentation for formal action on Nov. 10. Council members asked for clearer documentation of expected outcomes (for example, the number of recruits trained per funded academy class and service metrics for the downtown pilot).
