The Taxpayer's Bill of Rights creates a ratchet-down effect, although TABOR supporters like to deny it. It's pretty well explained if you click here. Here's how the ratchet works:

In the current recession, sales tax revenues are way down. Eventually, revenues will bounce back, but the recession is creating a new TABOR baseline (you could refer to it as a basement if you like). It means that although the city will receive double-digit increases in sales tax revenue eventually, it won't be able to keep a good share of the money. TABOR limits the city to keeping an increase that is tied to a formula including inflation plus population growth.

The TABOR ratchet means the size of government constantly must shrink, relative to the overall economy.

Many of the same people who love TABOR insist government should operate more like a business. But no business would consider doing what TABOR does. It hards times, businesses cut back on training, travel, advertising and infrastructure costs. So does government. But when the good times return, businesses reinvest in training, infrastructure and the rest. To compete, they have to. TABOR restrains government from doing the same sort of reinvestment. TABOR forbids government behaving the way a business would.

Because TABOR has hamstrung Colorado Springs so badly, the Sustainable Funding Committee appointed by city hall will forward a list of revenue-raising ideas to the City Council. Many of the ideas are contained in a new report. It's 169 pages, so if you want to down load the whole thing, have patience.

Will Colorado Springs voters approve some kind of tax increase in November? Maybe. Will there be a list of fee increases coming? Almost certainly.

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