Published September 30, 2026 4:50pm
The El Paso County commissioners this week voiced formal opposition to a passenger rail tax heading to the ballot this November, among other positions on statewide ballot measures.
Commissioner Cory Applegate, who sits on the Front Range Passenger Rail Board of Directors, was the sole vote against a decision last month to send Ballot Issue 7A to voters. The measure would apply a one-third-cent sales tax to communities within the district’s boundaries to fund a passenger rail system between Front Range cities.
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“I want the infrastructure,” said Applegate at a commissioner meeting this week. “I don’t want to burden the taxpayer with this.”
In a resolution passed unanimously, the commissioners said that Ballot Issue 7A “would impose an additional sales and use tax for passenger rail, create long-term costs, and require El Paso County residents to pay into a system for a decade or more before a single train is in service.”
The rail district’s boundaries run through El Paso County, following the path of the planned rail service between Fort Collins and Pueblo. Colorado Springs, Manitou Springs and Sterling Ranch Colorado metropolitan districts are among the El Paso County municipalities where voters will see the ballot measure. The passenger rail plan would use existing rail infrastructure currently used for freight.
The city of Colorado Springs has worked with the rail district on station locations and layout. In July, Mayor Yemi Mobolade said in a statement that the latest plan included negotiated city priorities.
“There is still work ahead, and ultimately, the funding decision belongs to the voters. I will work to ensure Colorado Springs’ interests are represented throughout this process,” he wrote.
The commissioners’ resolution stated positions on 14 other statewide ballot measures going to Colorado voters this year. The full text can be found at the county’s website.