EDITOR: The Aurora Chamber of Commerce has been fighting hard to make our city the strongest place for business in Colorado. So when the Denver Business Journal ranked Aurora the 2nd strongest economy in the state and 36th in the country – based on its strong GDP, high business growth and low unemployment – we were delighted by the results. It hardly means our work is done, but it’s one measure of the pro-growth policies that our city has implemented to encourage growth and create jobs.
That is why the Aurora Chamber of Commerce chose to support the City’s Yes on 2J campaign this November. The ballot question removes a provision on the city’s charter that prohibits the use of subsidies for motor sports facilities in Aurora.
The only prohibition of its kind, the charter amendment was passed back in 1999 under dubious circumstances and spearheaded by special interests outside of Aurora. The amendment was proposed and financed by backers of the now defunct Pikes Peak Raceway south of Colorado Springs who used our city’s charter to limit economic development in Aurora and protect their own business interests.
By voting Yes on 2J, Aurora will restore its City Charter to its original purpose – as an outline of the basic structure of our city’s government and removes a provision whose sole intent is to discriminate against a specific business entity and limit economic opportunity in Aurora.
The primary mission of The Chamber is to create a positive business environment and encourage growth and long-term economic vitality for Aurora. We work diligently every day to ensure that every voice in our business community is heard and every business has a chance to reach its full potential.
This charter amendment is the very antithesis of what The Chamber stands for and directly conflicts with priorities initiated by the city that has led too much of Aurora’s recent economic success. Under current law, the city cannot openly consider options that would help boost tourism in Aurora and connect area businesses to hundreds of thousands of new customers each year. Isn’t this a critical responsibility our elected officials were hired by voters to address?
For the last 20 years, I have had the honor to serve as The Chamber’s President and the privilege to call hundreds of Aurora’s top business leaders my friends. So for The Chamber, myself and all of the businesses we represent, the Yes on 2J campaign is deeply personal. For us, Aurora is a city that values community cooperation, neighborhood familiarity, and embraces all new residents and businesses that wish to call our city home.
This year, we are asking Aurora voters to stand with The Aurora Chamber of Commerce and Vote Yes on 2J. Let’s give Aurora the ability to reach its full potential as a City, strengthening our local business community and defining us as an attractive regional destination for all to enjoy.
Kevin Hougen
President, The Aurora Chamber of Commerce