AURORA | With ballots being mailed to Aurora residents this week, Aurora City Council voted unanimously Monday during a city council meeting to endorse ballot measure 2J.
Ballot question 2J, referred to voters by the city council, aims to repeal an ordinance that prevents Aurora from giving economic incentives to motor sports facilities, such as a NASCAR-style speedway.
Councilwoman Sally Mounier said she proposed the referendum not because of any behest from a possible developer, but simply as a matter of principle.
“There is nothing in the pipeline,” she said at a study session earlier in the evening on whether the city was being courted by NASCAR or another motor sports entity.
The resolution states that Aurora still lags behind several other cities in the metro area when it comes to tourism, and says the city would benefit from building an “entertainment district” around a racetrack if one came to the city.
The ban on providing economic incentives to a racetrack was passed in 1999 and added into the city’s charter. A citizen group named Concerned Residents Against Speedway Havoc was successful in convincing voters to prevent the city from providing “indirect or direct subsidies” to any type of motor racetrack.
That initiative blocked a large national race promoter from building a track in Aurora, but it was later marred in controversy. Several city officials at the time accused owners of the Colorado Springs Pikes Peak International Raceway of funding the initiative campaign out of fears their speedway would lose business to the Aurora track.
Following the initiative, the city successfully argued in county court to re-word the charter amendment so Aurora could work with racetrack developers and owners as it would with any other business. But the clause that prohibited the city from offering any type of incentives to potential racetracks, such as tax breaks or the waiving of development fees, was left intact.
The resolution points to the state of Kansas as an example of what is possible with a racetrack in Aurora. In 2001, Kansas constructed a speedway, shopping and entertainment venue along I-70, just outside of Kansas City, which has become the number one economic driver in the state, according to the resolution.
According to the resolution, the Kansas City entertainment district is expected to create up to 10,000 permanent jobs and generate $14 million in property taxes annually, which are helping to pay for schools, state programs, and other government services.
and if it passes guaranteed a motor sport entity will come knocking on Aurora’s door, i think we need to keep things the way they are as far as a race track (car) goes.
we already told you No. Can you not listen???
ummm….. why would this be a bad thing?? It’s not likely to happen anyway but why would a racetrack being built in or around Aurora be a bad thing? Someone explain that to me…….
More people will move to Aurora, with the 10,000 new jobs. Aurora Public Schools does not have the financial ability to to alleviate the over crowding as it is right now. There would have to be some kind of financial support going to the district.
Fair point, you’ve convinced me. Sure as hell don’t want more overcrowding in Aurora b
NASCAR will not come here. They have a full schedule. Denver tried this and NASCAR said another city would have to drop out. Turn the horsey track into a casino so I can play black jack and win millions baby. A tactical gun shooting range would be a good second alternative. Colorado does not need another Roundy rounder track. This is auroras chance to have gambling, hookah, bars with marihuana, good clean cut family entertainment.
Ditto brother! They stand a better chance creating/retaining jobs in industries that have more potential for growth/profits that can generate gauranteed city revenues whereas a race track will only be used occasionally vs.bars, dispensaries, and casinos that people use/buy products daily rather then an occasional event at a racetrack. I will vote no on 2J until we get a casino.
Tracy “Tantalizingtracy” Nelson
“Councilwoman Sally Mounier said she proposed the referendum not because of any behest from a possible developer, but simply as a matter of principle.”
Right. Here’s what News7 is saying
“Wendy Mitchell, head of the city’s Economic Development Council said she and a group have been posting flyers, talking to neighborhood associations and doing whatever it takes to get voters to lift the ban.
“We will never be able to have an opportunity while this is on the ballot in Aurora,” she said.
https://www.thedenverchannel.com/news/front-range/aurora/aurora-leaders-push-to-nix-ban-on-racetrack-incentives
Sounds a bit more than ‘a matter of principle’…
There is no reason to hobble our city and make other cities more attractive for businesses. If a large race company built a track here it would bring a lot of money to Aurora.