October 7, 2015

Voters have work cut out for them on November ballot

Election season makes for a frenetic time for political junkies. Although it will be more than a year before we vote for president – and months before the first caucus and primary – many local political questions will be resolved just a few weeks from now. Coloradans go to the ballot Nov. 3, but early voting via mailed ballot will begin Oct. 12.

So what issues will voters in the Boulder Valley and Northern Colorado be deciding? Here’s a partial rundown:

• Voters in Brighton, Fort Collins and Loveland will decide whether to allow their city to offer high-speed Internet.

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• Colorado voters will decide whether to refund $40 million in excess state revenues to the retail marijuana industry or retain those revenues for public school construction, or for law enforcement, youth programs and marijuana education.

• Dacono, Frederick and Johnstown are considering a lodging tax to fund programs such as economic development,

• Greeley is deciding whether to increase sales and use taxes by $9.5 million or more for street improvements, and whether to extend an existing tax on food to fund capital projects.

• Greeley will vote on whether to eliminate a charter requirement for retention votes for the city manager every six years.

• Milliken and Lyons are considering a tax on marijuana sales.

• Voters in the Carbon Valley Park and Recreation District will consider a debt increase of $40 million for various parks-and-rec improvements.

• Estes Valley Recreation and Park District voters will consider a debt increase of $33.2 million to improve and equip the Estes Valley Community Center.

• The Loveland Downtown Development Authority will consider a property-tax increase of 5 mills, raising $241,500 in 2016 and unknown amounts in subsequent years.

• Loveland also would be authorized, under Ballot Issue 5C, to incur debt of up to $75 million to finance projects undertaken on behalf of the Loveland DDA.

• Boulder will consider a tax increase of up to $400,000 annually through a short-term rental tax on leasing or renting of dwelling units not already taxed as a hotel, motel or other public accommodation.

• Boulder will determine whether to extend its utility occupation tax, currently set to expire on Dec. 31, 2017, until 2022.

• Boulder will decide whether to extend its current Climate Action Plan Tax until Dec. 31, 2023.

• Boulder will vote on Neighborhood Right to Vote on Land Use Regulation Changes, which would amend the charter to give residents of neighborhoods the right to vote on certain changes to land-use regulations.

• Boulder also will decide the fate of what’s been dubbed the “New Development Shall Pay Its Own Way” measure, preventing the city “from approving new development that does not fully pay for or otherwise provide additional facilities and services to fully offset the additional burdens imposed by the new development.”

As I noted, that’s just a sampling of issues to be decided in our region. Let’s hope voters are keeping up!

Christopher Wood can be reached at 303-630-1942, 970-232-3133 or via email at cwood@bizwestmedia.com.

Election season makes for a frenetic time for political junkies. Although it will be more than a year before we vote for president – and months before the first caucus and primary – many local political questions will be resolved just a few weeks from now. Coloradans go to the ballot Nov. 3, but early voting via mailed ballot will begin Oct. 12.

So what issues will voters in the Boulder Valley and Northern Colorado be deciding? Here’s a partial rundown:

• Voters in Brighton, Fort Collins and Loveland will decide whether to allow their…

Christopher Wood
Christopher Wood is editor and publisher of BizWest, a regional business journal covering Boulder, Broomfield, Larimer and Weld counties. Wood co-founded the Northern Colorado Business Report in 1995 and served as publisher of the Boulder County Business Report until the two publications were merged to form BizWest in 2014. From 1990 to 1995, Wood served as reporter and managing editor of the Denver Business Journal. He is a Marine Corps veteran and a graduate of the University of Colorado Boulder. He has won numerous awards from the Colorado Press Association, Society of Professional Journalists and the Alliance of Area Business Publishers.
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