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Council approves police technology surcharge and municipal-court language to allow fee waivers
Summary
The City Council approved two ordinances to authorize a police technology surcharge on municipal convictions and align municipal-court waiver authority with state law; proponents said the fees support critical but rising technology costs, opponents warned about layering surcharges instead of a long-term tax solution.
The City Council voted on Nov. 10 to approve two ordinances intended to help the Colorado Springs Police Department cover rising technology costs. Deputy Chief John Koch told council the measures — an amendment to the general penalty to add a police technology surcharge and a municipal‑court change to allow surcharges/fees to be waived consistent with practice and state law — were prompted by mandated equipment and rapidly increasing contracts for digital systems.
Koch said the department’s annual technology portfolio approaches $4 million and cited the TASER contract as an example that is scheduled to double to about $1.2 million in 2026. Based on conviction and payment rates, the police estimated that a $20 surcharge could yield roughly $544,000 in 2026; the Mayor would set the surcharge amount after analysis if the ordinance is adopted.
Councilmembers split on the approach. Council Member Risley and others backed the ordinance as a targeted revenue mechanism for people convicted of municipal offenses; Council Member Rainey and several others warned that layering surcharges risks undermining public trust and that a public-safety sales tax might be a more durable solution. "We can't constantly put the responsibility on our citizens to fix mismanagement," Rainey said.
The measure authorizes the municipal court to collect a police technology surcharge on convictions for municipal traffic and criminal ordinance violations (excluding Avis/red-light camera tickets and parking, where state or other law restricts surcharges). The companion ordinance updated municipal-court language so that surcharges and fees may be waived in line with state law and current practice.
Council approved the surcharge-amendment ordinance (9B) on a 5–4 vote; the municipal-court waiver alignment (9C) passed 8–1. Officials said municipal court could apply waivers in individual cases under existing discretion and that the city would provide public notice prior to implementation.
