More Than $250K Spent To Defeat Lakewood Ballot Question 200

LAKEWOOD, CO — Lakewood residents have begun receiving ballots in the mail for a special election on July 2. Voters will choose the outcome of Ballot Question 200, an ordinance that would curb residential growth in the city through a permit allocation system. Realty and general contracting organizations have donated more than a quarter of a million dollars to defeat the measure, according to campaign finance reports.

The initiative, which would apply to new single family homes, apartments and condos, would cap new housing projects at 1 percent of Lakewood's current housing stock.

Those who are against the initiative say it would increase property taxes and mortgage payments for local homeowners; however groups that are pushing for the measure say that the local luxury housing boom is driving up mortgages and rents.

Finance reports show that the following organizations donated large sums of money to defeat the initiative:

• National Association of Realtors: $200,000
• Colorado Association of Realtors: $25,000
• Associated General Contractors of Colorado: $25,000

Issue Committees that are for the initiative have raised comparatively very little, according to David Wiechman, who represents the group Save Lakewood. His group and their allies, Strategic Growth Initiative, have raised a total of $3,645, he said.

Wiechman said it's the "ultimate Davis versus Goliath story."

"We are used to 10 to 1 ratios but this is getting into the 100 to 1 ratio," he said. "The good news we get a lot of bang for our buck."

The city has posted a video of a Special Election Issue Forum and the entire citizen-initiated ordinance for Ballot Question 200 so voters can be informed about the history and implications of the ordinance.

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Lakewood Special Election 2019: Ballot Question 200 In Mail