SUBJECT:
Title
2026 Ballot Issue Planning
Department
DEPARTMENT: Town Manager's Office
Communications & Community Engagement
Presenter
PRESENTER(S): Melissa Wiley, Deputy Town Manager
Gabi Rae, Director of Communications & Community Engagement
Luke Bolinger, Director of Parks and Recreation
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Time
TIME ESTIMATE: 45 minutes
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For time estimate: please put 0 for Consent items.
Fiscal
FISCAL SUMMARY:
N/A
Policy
POLICY ISSUES:
The Town Council has authority to approve items for addition on election ballots.
Recommendation
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Provide direction to staff about which items Council would like to test with voters and potentially see on either the 2026 or 2027 ballot.
Body
SUMMARY/KEY POINTS
• Town Council can put on the ballot questions about taxes, bonds, mill levies, Charter amendments, referendums, or initiatives.
• It is best practice to conduct testing surveys of potential ballot items to gauge the support of voters in the community.
• Large tax increases or bonds may also benefit from community surveying, education, and engagement plans to inform voters and gage the relative support for proposals.
• Possible ballot items staff want to discuss with Council include: funding a second community campus, funding to expand the current Erie Community Center, a Lodging and/or Short-Term Rental Tax, Public Facilities Tax, Indoor Recreation Maintenance Tax, Transportation Infrastructure Tax, and Public Safety Tax.
BACKGROUND OF SUBJECT MATTER:
Over the last year the following potential ballot items have been mentioned or discussed and may warrant further evaluation, sequencing, and community engagement:
• Funding a Second Community Campus at the Colliers Hill Site
• Funding Expansion at the Current Erie Community Center
• Indoor Recreation Operation and Maintenance Tax
• Funding for the Leon A. Wurl Service Center Expansion
• Transportation Infrastructure Tax (Note: Funding for this purpose could alternatively come from a Transportation Maintenance Fee adopted by Council instead of a voter approved tax. Loveland <https://www.lovgov.org/services/public-works/streets> has had Street Maintenance Fees for many years and Boulder <https://bouldercolorado.gov/transportation-maintenance-fee-quick-facts> recently adopted Transportation Maintenance Fees. Both are based on the transportation impact resulting from different land use types; residential, commercial, office, industrial, etc. Polling could determine voter support for or opposition to this approach to funding street maintenance verses a tax.)
• Short-Term Rental Tax
• Lodging Tax
• Public Facilities Tax
Ballot Item Typical Process & Timelines
Municipal ballot items in Colorado generally reach voters through either a council-referred process or a voter-initiated process. Most municipal ballot items are referred by the Town Council following public surveys, education and engagement, staff analysis, and formal Council action to place the item on the ballot.
Measures that involve taxes, debt, revenue increases, or the retention or spending of revenue above Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) limits are considered fiscal ballot issues and require voter approval. These measures must follow specific statutory requirements related to ballot language, notices, and election timing.
Non-fiscal matters, such as charter amendments or governance changes, may also be referred to voters as ballot questions. Alternatively, residents may place a measure on the ballot through a voter initiative by collecting the required number of signatures and meeting procedural requirements established in State law and local code.
Prior to placing a ballot item before voters, municipalities typically engage in a structured and phased public engagement and education process. This process begins with early policy discussions at council meetings or study sessions to clarify goals and explore options. As concepts advance, the municipality will conduct community engagement through surveys, open houses, stakeholder meetings, and other tools to gather feedback and test community priorities. For fiscal measures, staff and consultants typically prepare financial analyses, cost estimates, feasibility studies, and implementation plans to inform decision-making.
Once a ballot item is formally referred, the municipality can no longer participate in any effort that may be considered “campaigning” and only engage in a public information effort, providing neutral, fact-based information to explain the purpose of the measure, its financial impacts, and the implications of voter approval or rejection.
Election Landscape & Considerations
The Council should consider the lengthy list above and decide which, if any, of the issues Council wants to conduct community engagement on to determine if they should be put on the November ballot. It is also important to consider things like:
• What else is on the ballot?
• What is the economic landscape locally, nationally, globally?
• What is the overall sentiment of voters at this time?
The 2026 Election will be a mid-term election which means there will be many elected offices included on the ballot from the Federal, State, and local levels. Including three Council Member seats for Erie. There may also be one or more items from our home counties, the fire department, school districts, and other special districts.
priorities
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attachments
ATTACHMENT(S):
1. Presentation