AURORA | Voters appear to be narrowly rejecting Aurora ballot measure 2J, which sought the repeal of a ban on incentives for motorsports facilities.
Councilwoman Sally Mounier, who proposed the referendum, said she was disappointed because the city had put so much time and money into promoting a repeal of the ban. Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan spent $35,000 of his campaign dollars to promote the measure.
“I believe in the voter, and the voter has spoken,” Mounier said. “When they speak, they speak loud and clear.”
If 2J were to pass, it would have freed the city to offer a slate of incentives to a speedway developer that would likely be crucial in bringing a NASCAR-style speedway to the Denver metro area.
Aurora city officials say that no developers are actively courting the city, but that Aurora would bite at the chance for a motor sports facility if the opportunity comes up.
Wendy Mitchell, president of the Aurora Economic Development Council, said a racetrack is a way to attract visitors from outside of Aurora and make the city a tourist destination.
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.
Ask Nashville what happened to thier city regarding NASCAR.
A very disappointed mayor and city council. Good.
I only voted against it because I got Spam from their yeson2j website asking me to vote for it. I am sure they stole my contact info from my the city of Aurora records/servers. Spamming me, without permission, is not the way to get my vote (though I do agree that this ban does not belong in the city’s “constitution”).
Let’s look at this from a wider angle. Repealing this ordinance would have granted special treatment to a specific industry. The council currently is allowed to grant financial favors to many industries. Perhaps Aurora voters are smart enough to realize that we have to stop cronyism and favoritism one industry at a time.
Your neighbor’s aunt is ripping off you and anyone else foolish enough to enter this. You will lose a lot of money in this scheme.
Aurora decides to shoot it self on the foot… again. AND retain it’s infamous ghetto reputation from surrounding cities.. growth comes with some pain. And I believe, repealing of 2J may not be enough..
Oh well, if the red necks want NASCAR in Aurora they’ll have to pay for it themselves.
I voted in favor of repealing the language from the City Charter but I was still suspicious that there was a hidden agenda although I couldn’t find it.
NASCAR isn’t going to expand their schedule any time in the near future because their ratings and attendance are in the toilet. They would be better off shrinking their schedule not bloating it with additional dates. Building a track right now would be the epitome of stupidity.
This decision by Aurora voters will spare city officials the trouble of holding another 1-voter tax election to bypass TABOR again for the purpose of building the racetrack. And it won’t detract from the city’s main economic development focus, which is to build as many pot shops as possible without asking the voters whether they actually want them. Perhaps the city can build 24 more pot shops near the new Gaylord hotel.
Aurora: Sniff the weed.
I voted against it, since I see too much racing on I-225, I-70, I-470 now. Same with city streets, when young folks take short cuts through the residential areas. Gaylord Hotel and Facility, will be a destination, tourist and convention center, and good enough for me. Anyone else, who wants more speed should register and take the one way trip to Mars, by that French Company.
Race Track over near front range has been there for years, and I have never been there, with all the years I have lived in Colorado. Especially after retiring in 1976, and moving back to my home in Aurora 1977, that wife and I bought in 1963. Altura was just east of us, without the freeways. I am sure when new growth appears out east, toward Kansas, we can do better than a race track.