This November, Larimer County voters will vote on four local ballot measures and one municipality-specific measure, all of which ask voters about tax increases to support various initiatives. One of the local measures is applicable to the broader county, while the other three are for specific public improvement districts. The fifth measure accounts for all municipalities within the Front Range Passenger Rail District.

Ballot measure 1A

Ballot measure 1A proposes an increase in sales tax to fund a variety of areas in the county government. According to the ballot, the funding would be used for various county needs, including natural disaster response, maintenance and improvement of county spaces, roads and infrastructure, as well as funding public safety and benefits.

If passed, the measure would go into effect Jan. 1, 2027 and would result in a 0.3% sales tax increase, raising the county sales and use tax rate from a current 1.05% to 1.35%, which is equivalent to an additional 30 cents on every $100 spent on taxable purchases.

Ballot measures 6A, 6B and 6C

Ballot measures 6A, 6B and 6C propose new public improvement districts. A public improvement district is formed to make public improvements through an increase in the mill levy tax, which would begin collection Jan. 1, 2027. Property owners within the district fund the maintenance and improvement of public facilities, such as roads, sewage systems, parks and recreation areas and more.

The ballot measures and their respective proposed districts are the following:

• Ballot Measure 6A: Proposes the Stanley Heights Public Improvement District No. 81, which asks for taxes to be increased $48,000 annually by a mill levy tax of no more than 13.971 mills.
• Ballot Measure 6B: Proposes the Colland Center Public Improvement District No. 82, which asks for taxes to be increased $182,000 annually by a mill levy tax of no more than 22.942 mills.
• Ballot Measure 6C: Proposes the Terry Point Estates Public Improvement District No. 85, which asks for taxes to be increased $139,000 annually by a mill levy tax of no more than 26.970 mills.

Ballot measure 7A

Ballot measure 7A, or Front Range Passenger Rail District, will be featured on the Larimer County ballot. A “yes/for” vote will support the construction, operation and maintenance of the Colorado Connector, a passenger rail that will provide daily trips across the Front Range.

Although funding is secured for the Fort Collins station and starter services will provide three daily round trips from Denver to Fort Collins, Ballot Measure 7A looks to secure funding for the project to expand. Ballot Measure 7A asks voters to approve a 0.333% sales tax to fund future phases of the project.

The Colorado Connecter and its related sales tax increase is projected to generate $295 million a year across the district, which spans the Front Range. Fort Collins could see up to $3.3 million annually under the district’s local return program, which would allow the city to invest that money into its station.

In October, about 800,000 voters in Adams, Arapahoe, Douglas and Weld counties incorrectly received ballot measure 7A on their ballots. These voters lived outside of the Front Range Passenger Train District and were not eligible to vote on the issue. This confusion arose because the Front Range Passenger Rail District did not properly notify county clerks after state lawmakers changed the district boundaries earlier this year, according to reporting from The Colorado Sun.

Colorado secretary of state’s office is telling the affected counties to reconfigure their voting systems in a way that will ensure only the correct ballots will be counted for 7A on election day.

Reach Skylar White at news@collegian.com or on social media @RMCollegian.