November 2026 ballot

Council member Nicole Speer asked what happens to 15 priority buildings if the November facilities bond fails. Staff said the city would keep buildings operating but could not fully repair or modernize them, and some services or building areas could be limited or closed.

County Attorney staff Olivia Lucas presented Resolution 2026-003, sending a debt question to Eldorado Springs voters on the November 3, 2026 ballot. Staff lowered the ask from a $1.2 million not-to-exceed amount to $1 million, after strong feedback from the advisory committee and public that the number should match the actual loan need.

“we've changed our recommendation... we are now seeking debt authorization of a million dollars rather than the 1. 2”

Tina Marquis reviewed the stack of taxes likely on the November ballot, including Proposition NN, a graduated income tax, a vacant home tax, an early childhood tax, and the county sales tax, alongside the city bond. She said she confirmed the other measures are unlikely to hurt the graduated income tax's chances and said she supports the bond despite low odds of passage.

Tara Winer said she would vote yes on Ordinance 8758, the $400 million-plus bond ballot measure, but objected to the vague phrase and other capital projects. She said community trust is low and called for more budget transparency and an independent city auditor.

“It's their money, not our money.”

Staff presented Resolution 2026-052, certifying similar ballot language to form the Summerlin Public Improvement District for the November 3, 2026 ballot. The board approved it without discussion.

Staff presented Resolution 2026-051, certifying ballot language to form the Sombrero Ranch Public Improvement District, covering taxing authority, formation, debt authorization, and a revenue change for the November 3, 2026 ballot. The board approved it without discussion.

County Attorney staff presented Resolution 2026-053, which amends and certifies the ballot title for the Early Childhood Care and Education Mill Levy Increase for the November 3, 2026 election. Levy asked why the amendment was not folded into one resolution; staff said only the ballot question wording changed, not the underlying program resolution.

Council took non-binding straw polls directing staff to draft formal resolutions for a later meeting: opposing Initiative 95 (immigration reporting), Initiative 109 (school sports by sex), Initiative 110 (bar gender-affirming care for minors), Initiative 175 (restrict road funding), Initiative 177 (right to natural gas), and the fentanyl penalty measure Initiative 85; and supporting the county child care mill levy, Initiative 195 (graduated income tax), and Proposition NN (retain K-12 funding above the TABOR cap). A straw poll to support Initiative 308 (sporting goods tax for conservation) failed 3-5.

Council took non-binding straw polls directing staff to draft resolutions opposing Initiatives 85, 95, 109, 110, 175, and 177, and supporting the county child care mill levy, Initiative 195, and Proposition NN. A proposal to support Initiative 308 on sporting goods conservation funding got only three votes and was not carried forward.

“we did the oppose... did we do something about the support”

Intergovernmental affairs staff reviewed one county ballot measure and 15 state measures for possible council positions. The county early childhood mill levy would raise property taxes by 2.579 mills, about $30 million a year, for child care affordability, accessibility, workforce stability, and lower provider administrative costs.

Heather Staer reviewed one county measure and about 15 state ballot measures, including graduated income tax Initiative 195, education funding Proposition NN, a competing income tax cap Initiative 232, a right to natural gas Initiative 177, a right to hunt and fish Initiative 302, and a sporting goods sales tax for conservation Initiative 308. She said staff cannot advocate on measures but council can direct staff to draft resolutions stating a city position.

“city council can take an official position on a ballot measure on behalf of the city”

Superintendent Anderson flagged two possible state ballot measures for board discussion at the September 8 meeting: Proposition N, a referred measure to raise the property tax cap for education, and Initiative 195, a graduated income tax measure that Great Education Colorado had helped get signatures for.

Tina Marquis asked staff to compare tax impacts across three 2026 measures. Staff said the recreation bond would cost about $200 a year on a $500,000 home and $400 on a $1 million home, the county early-childhood mill levy would cost about $78 and $163, and a 5,000-square-foot commercial property would pay an $800 transportation maintenance fee.

City Manager Nuria Rivera-Vandermyde and budget officer Charlotte Huskey presented the five 2026 ballot measures: the $400 million recreation and safety bond, the vacancy excise tax, the firefighter collective bargaining charter amendment, the debt limit charter change, and the downtown development authority. Staff said the bond addresses a decades-old facilities backlog first documented in a 2021 facilities plan, not recent mismanagement.

Commissioner Levy read out several wording corrections to the ballot resolution, including a missing comma, a wrong reference to K-12 teachers instead of early childhood educators, a redundant paragraph, and a mill rate typo of 2.6 instead of 2.579. The county attorney confirmed the changes raise no legal problem.

“I don't want anybody to have the impression that there is something fixed and final about assessment rates”

Tina Marquis asked whether council could still change ballot language on the four November ordinances; staff said yes tonight or wait for a later reading. Ryan Schuchard asked for no surprises via hotline, and the mayor thanked the firefighters union for working with the city on the collective bargaining charter language.

Council took non-binding straw polls and directed staff to develop a $400 million recreation and safety facilities bond and a vacancy excise tax on second and third homes for the November ballot. Tara Winer dissented on the bond size, preferring $200 million, while others including Nicole Speer, Mark Wallach, and Matt Benjamin argued the community deserved the choice at the higher, more complete funding level.

“I think we owe it to community to prove the expense side of this before we're asking for 400 million”

Pollster Adam Probolsky presented results testing a $200 million and a $400 million facilities bond. The $400 million version, which listed specific projects like recreation centers and fire stations, drew a plurality yes while the $200 million version did not, and a second-home vacancy tax drew majority support around 55 to 70 percent depending on framing.

“you do have greater support for 400 million than 200 million”