Pueblo city residents are being asked to vote in November on two ballot measures that could impact their wallets. The City Council has called for a referendum on a sales tax increase to pay for more police officers, and this week the council approved a second referendum regarding a new fee on utility bills to finance street repairs.

At this point, we would urge voters to keep open minds about both proposals. That’s because the council and staff haven’t given the public enough information yet to make educated decisions.

The public safety referendum seems pretty straightforward: If voters agree to increase sales taxes by one-fifth of a cent, that money would be used to hire 24 police officers. What city officials haven’t answered definitively is the question of how those new officers actually would be used and when they would be hired.

Read more at The Pueblo Chieftain.