There are two Fort Collins ballot issues that voters will encounter when they go to the polls during this year’s municipal election, scheduled to take place Nov. 4. The first issue pertains to the Community Capital Improvement Program, which is city-initiated, and the second directs the Natural Areas Tax Extension via a citizen-initiated ballot issue.
The CCIP, which continues a long line of community improvement initiatives in Fort Collins since 1973, is asking for not a new tax, but rather an extension of an existing one through Ballot Issue 2A. Fort Collins residents currently pay a 0.25% sales and use tax to fund the program, equal to 25 cents for every $100 spent. This measure would extend it through the end of 2035.
Every 10 years, the City of Fort Collins revisits whether voters are still satisfied with taxes put in place, with this tax initially approved by voters in 2015. According to the City of Fort Collins, if approved, Ballot Issue 2A will direct revenue toward planning, designing, property acquisition and the construction of several planned community projects.
Fort Collins City Clerk Delynn Coldiron said the program’s review in 10-year intervals is integral to its effectiveness and impact on residents.
“So far, the voters have been incredibly gracious and have given the city ongoing extensions of this tax to do the things that are most important to voters and to keep our city beautiful,” Coldiron said.
The second issue on the ballot this year is the Natural Areas Tax Extension. This issue is also not new; it is simply an extension of an existing tax. Contrary to Issue 2A, however, Ballot Issue 302 is asking for the Natural Areas Tax to be extended indefinitely.
Coldiron talked about the process for placing a citizen-initiated issue on the ballot in Fort Collins.
“(Organizers) needed 5,070 signatures to get this on the ballot,” Coldiron said. “So they did that, they brought it back and they had way more than that, but we were able to approve it for them.”
Without increasing taxes, the city is asking voters to extend another existing 0.25% sales and use tax, with the first tax measure approved by citizens in 1992. This tax currently funds the purchase, care and operations of the city’s natural areas. If approved, the extension would make this tax permanent, continuing beyond its current expiration date at the end of 2030.
The funds that are received from this tax will continue to be used for a variety of environmental and community purposes, including buying and protecting natural areas, open spaces and community separators; maintaining wildlife habitats; preserving rivers, streams and wetlands; and supporting biodiverse landscapes. The money would also help provide opportunities for residents to appropriately use and enjoy these natural areas in ways that protect their ecological health.
The proposed 2025 ordinance would also make several updates to the rules that guide how these tax dollars can be spent, though not for some time. Starting in 2061, the minimum percentage of annual revenue that must go toward land conservation activities would be reduced from 80% to 70%, according to the city. It would also increase the maximum percentage of annual revenue that can be used for operations and maintenance, from 20% to 30%.
The new ordinance would also formally recognize restoration work, such as improving native plant and animal habitats, as a key part of land conservation. Finally, the ordinance would update and clarify some of the language from the original version to ensure consistency with how the city’s Natural Areas program currently operates.
Reach Riley Paling at news@collegian.com or on social media @rileypaling.
