41 cities and towns throughout the state held regular or special elections on Nov. 7. Here’s a wrap-up of the various measures from Sam Mamet, executive director of the Colorado Municipal League.
Financial measures
Passed
• Aspen voters approved a sales tax for the school district.
• Boulder voters approved a five-year excise tax extension for a climate action plan and a 20-year sales tax extension for parks and open space.
• Calhan voters approved a sales tax for street improvements.
• Fleming and Holly voters approved a sales tax for the general fund.
• Lafayette and Louisville voters approved sales tax extensions for open space.
• Manitou Springs voters approved a property tax increase to join a library district.
• Nucla voters approved a sales tax extension for urgent medical care.
• Rifle voters approved a sales tax increase for a water treatment plant.
Failed
• Firestone voters rejected a sales tax for parks and streets.
• Fountain voters rejected a property tax for a fire station and staffing.
• Walsenburg voters rejected a property tax increase for the general fund.
Questions to retain and spend excess revenues under TABOR
• Passed in Castle Pines, Centennial, and Denver.
Debt questions
Passed
• Larkspur voters approved $2.9 million for water well improvements.
Failed
• Aurora voters rejected $74 million for transportation-related projects.
• Erie voters rejected $6.2 million for a public safety facility (vote is very close; there may be a recount).
Marijuana
• Amendment 64 on the legalization of marijuana passed.
• Both Fort Collins and Berthoud voters approved medical marijuana operations in their municipalities (Fort Collins overturned a previous voter-approved ban on medical marijuana).
Miscellaneous
Passed
• Longmont voters approved a fracking ban.
• Edgewater voters approved a question to merge its fire department with the Wheat Ridge Fire Protection District.
• Fort Lupton voters approved the question to modify term limits for the offices of mayor and council.
• Yampa voters approved reducing the number of trustees from six to four, plus the mayor.
• Voters in Aspen, Commerce City, Durango, and Longmont approved franchises for gas and/or electricity utilities.
Failed
• Nucla voters rejected the ability for the town to post publicly — rather than publish — various bills and contracts
• Evans and Walsenburg voters rejected questions to appoint rather than elect the clerk and treasurer.
• Snowmass Village voters rejected an advisory question on regulating plastic bags.
• Aspen voters rejected an advisory question regarding a hydroelectric facility.
CML is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization established in 1923 and represents the interests of 265 cities and towns. For more information, please visit www.cml.org.
