AURORA — The city needs more recreation centers and libraries, and streets are in dire need of repair.
Yet with the high price of gas and utilities and the economic realities of today, Aurora doesn’t want to impose more fees or raise taxes for citizens.
This week, a committee will discuss whether to ask voters to approve bonds or a property-tax increase for the city’s needs.
The earliest any measure would likely go to voters is fall 2009.
“We have all these needs for facilities in the city; it’s just a matter of how you pay for them,” said City Councilman Brad Pierce.
Pierce envisions something similar to what Denver successfully passed in 2007. Denver offered voters a variety of specific improvements on the ballot. That way, residents could vote for each project separately, he said.
Councilman Ryan Frazier said he does not support the proposals being discussed. He says the city should look at other ways to fund the needs, such as trying to bring more businesses and rooftops into the city — which means more revenue in sales and property taxes.
“We’ve seen an onslaught of proposals of different fees and tax increases that have been brought to the table,” Frazier said. “But I’m not confident any of them will help us in the long term.”
City officials have been studying whether to ask voters to create a new library district, which would be independent of the city and funded through a property-tax increase.
The city committee is also floating a possible tax hike for more books and places to read them.
Another item on the city’s wish list is some sort of cultural/events center.
“We really need to try to fund all the needs that we have,” Pierce said. “We’ll need to do some cutting in the budget, too, but the needs we have are real.”
Carlos Illescas: 303-954-1175 or cillescas@denverpost.com
