Oct 30, 2021 - News

Dozens of local contests will reshape Colorado communities

A voter puts a ballot into a drop box in Colorado.

Meredith Berna put the ballot into the drop box at Evergreen Library in 2020. Photo: Hyoung Chang/The Denver Post via Getty Images

The future of communities across Colorado will be shaped by more than 125 local ballot measures this year.

Why it matters: Colorado's population pressures are felt most acutely at the local level, where communities must decide how to manage resources and infrastructure as more people move in.

By the numbers: Voters in roughly 40 cities statewide are considering tax measures to fund future growth and development, CBS4 reports.

  • Nearly a dozen — including Denver, Boulder and many mountain towns — are weighing housing issues, from limits on how many people can share a home to raising fees on short-term rentals.

Details: From tax increases for schools and police to parks and streets, money dominates local ballots this year.

  • Castle Rock and Colorado Springs are posing sales tax questions for open space and trails.
  • Lone Tree is asking for a tax hike to fund city services, and Littleton wants to raise taxes for capital improvement projects.

When it comes to the future of housing, Boulder voters will consider a measure to increase the number of people allowed to live in a home together — while Denver will weigh whether to lower its group living cap.

  • Avon, Leadville, Ouray and Telluride will vote on taxes and extra fees on short-term rentals, many of which would fund community housing initiatives.

Of note: At least one city — Broomfield — will select what the future of municipal elections looks like, when voters decide whether to enact ranked-choice voting for mayor and city council elections.

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