DENVER—Voters across Colorado rejected 14 proposed tax increases last week but approved three-quarters of the amount of money sought for specific proposals, the Colorado Municipal League said.
They also approved Colorado’s newest city, Castle Pines North, giving the state 271 official cities and towns, Municipal League Executive Director Sam Mamet said Monday.
Voters went to the polls in 67 municipal elections on Nov. 6. No statewide issues were on the ballot.
The largest debt measures were in Denver, where voters approved $550 million for seven specific proposals to build or fix local projects.
Voters in Centennial approved a home rule charter commission, Edgewater voters approved a charter review commission and Fort Morgan voters changed the city’s charter to clarify they wanted a pure council-manager system.
Voters rejected raises for city councils in Boulder and Dacono.
One of the most controversial initiatives was in Denver, where voters directed law enforcement to make marijuana possession the “lowest law enforcement priority.”
The city is setting up an 11-member review panel to comply with the measure. The panel will monitor marijuana possession cases to ensure the new law is being followed.
The measure requires that the panel meet quarterly and report on marijuana arrests and prosecutions. Mayor John Hickenlooper has said he will comply with the measure but hasn’t decided who will be appointed.
