AURORA — The City Council moved forward Saturday with plans to ask voters in November to extend a property tax that expires at the end of 2012, money that would be used in a variety of areas.
The council made that decision at its spring workshop.
By extending the tax, the city would issue bonds to renovate police headquarters. New medians in the southern part of the city would be built, and there would be upgrades to libraries, parks and recreation.
“People will pay no more than they are paying now,” Councilman Bob FitzGerald said after the meeting.
The property tax costs a person $31.68 this year for a home valued at $200,000 in 2011. That tax ends in 2012, and the debt will be paid off in 2015.
The tax would generate up to $5.8 million annually based on the current estimates.
Among the improvements should the measure pass would be $10 million for medians in the southern part of the city and up to $20 million for parks, recreation, cultural services and libraries.
Two transportation projects would get $22.2 million improvements to East Sixth Avenue and Montview Boulevard.
About $10.75 million would go toward public safety. Most of that money would be earmarked for renovations to the District 2 police building, where the department is headquartered. Also funded would be disaster recovery programs for court administration data and improved lighting in north Aurora.
There still will be public hearings on the proposed 2011 ballot measures and a final vote by the council before voters would consider them in November.
The council rejected a new training facility for the Police and Fire departments, as well as dedicating money for the city’s requirement of hiring two police officers for every 1,000 residents.
“I’m so tired of hearing about two per 1,000,” Councilwoman Barb Cleland said in proposing to use the money for that requirement. “I’d like to see that issue go away.”
The ballot may be crowded in terms of recreation issues. Aside from the city’s proposal, a recreation task force is gathering signatures to force a ballot measure that would use property taxes for three recreation centers, projects that could cost upward of $100 million.
Councilwoman Marsha Berzins was against asking voters for a tax hike this year, since technically this would be a new tax even though the current tax would be extended.
Carlos Illescas: 303-954-1175 or cillescas@denverpost.com
