Photo by McKenzie Lange/Aurora Sentinel
AURORA | The city will likely ask voters this November to approve a sales tax increase to fund $264 million in transportation, public safety and city facility capital improvement projects.
At a May 9 workshop, city council members moved forward a proposal to ask voters to approve three bond issues, totaling $264 million, and accompanying funding that amounts to a 0.325% sales tax increase, or about 3 cents on every $10 in purchases.
The bond issues would fund 65 projects across three areas, including transportation, public safety and city facilities, which includes parks, recreation centers and libraries. Some of the major projects include the replacement of the Peoria Street bridge, construction of a new fire station, library and recreation center, improvements to police and fire facilities and park renovations.
The projects were identified over a three-year process through the Build Up Aurora Infrastructure Task Force, which identified over $2 billion in infrastructure needs across the city. Through community engagement efforts and determining which projects are development ready, the task force narrowed the projects down to the ones included in the bonds.
Councilmember Curtis Gardner, who is a chairperson on the Build Up Aurora task force, said the proposed bond questions “meet a sweet spot” because they have strong polling, meet the city’s needs and the projects are within the city’s capacity to address.
Deputy City Manager Laura Perry said the total of all the infrastructure needs in the bond questions and identified by Build Up Aurora “exceed what the city can afford to do within its annual budget,” which is why the city is turning to voters for bond funding.
One bond question would ask for voter approval for a 0.13% sales tax increase, or 1.3 cents on every $10, to fund $107.4 million in transportation projects, such as the construction of Gun Club Road and transportation improvements for the Aurora Reservoir.
Another bond question proposes a 0.13% sales tax increase to fund nearly $105 million in facilities projects, like building a new library and recreation center in northeast Aurora and the renovation of the Aurora Center for Active Adults.
The third bond question would ask for a .06% sales tax increase, or 0.6 cents per $10, for $52 million of public safety improvements, including upgrades to several fire stations, police facilities and the 911 call center, as well as building a new fire station.
All of the proposed sales tax increases would sunset after 30 years, which is the life of the bond issues, unless voters approve extensions in the future. The city has not had a sales tax increase since 1993.
If all of the bond measures are approved, Aurora’s total sales tax rate would be 8.825% in Arapahoe County and 8.325% in Adams County, up from 8.5% and 8% respectively. The city’s sales tax rate would still be behind Broomfield, Castle Rock, Commerce City, Denver and Fort Collins if the bond questions pass.
Perry said the projects listed in the bond questions were chosen to prioritize ones with the greatest public benefit.
Public surveys show residents’ top concern is public safety, including crime and traffic safety, followed by improving transportation and parks and recreation. The surveys also found that residents want the city to focus on upgrading existing infrastructure, ensuring the benefits are citywide and improving accessibility and access to services.
Polling, done by Keating Research, on similar bond questions indicated broad voter support, with six different proposals receiving anywhere from 55% to 62% support of those polled. The strongest support was for bond questions funding public safety and transportation projects.
“The bottom line is Aurora voters strongly support these bond measures and we know that safety, traffic and bridge repairs are very important to voters,” Chris Keating, from Keating Research, told the council.
At the May 9 workshop, council members seemed to be unified in supporting the proposed bond questions.
Council members will discuss the proposed bond questions at its May 18 study session and vote on whether to put the questions on the ballot at the June 8 and June 22 meetings.