City Of Littleton Clerk Verifies Candidates For City Council Election

Press release from the City of Littleton:

August 27, 2021

Council Refers Sales Tax Rate Increase to Voters

Littleton City Clerk Colleen Norton has certified the petitions for nine candidates running for the Littleton City Council on November 2. In November 2020, citizens approved an initiative changing the way the mayor is selected. For the first time in the city’s history, citizens will elect the mayor versus the mayor being appointed by the council members. The candidates are:

Mayor: Jon Buck, Carol Fey, Kyle Schlachter
District I: Patrick Driscoll, Candice Ferguson
District III: Stephen Barr, Paul Bingham
At Large: Krista Kafer, Gretchen Rydin

At a special meeting August 26, the Littleton City Council referred a question to voters asking for an increase in the sales tax rate from 3% to 3.75% to fund capital improvement projects:

SHALL CITY OF LITTLETON SALES AND USE TAXES BE INCREASED BY AN ESTIMATED $9,773,087 ANNUALLY, OR BY WHATEVER ADDITIONAL AMOUNTS ARE RAISED ANNUALLY THEREAFTER, BY A 3/4 CENT (FROM 3.0% TO 3.75%) WHICH AMOUNTS TO 75 CENTS ON $100 IN PURCHASES EXCLUDING THOSE ITEMS EXEMPT FROM TAXATION BY CITY CODE, THAT WILL GO INTO EFFECT ON JANUARY 1, 2022 OF BACKLOGGED CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PROJECTS INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO: NEIGHBORHOOD STREET MAINTENANCE AND RECONSTRUCTION, STREET CONGESTION AND IMPROVED CAPACITY PROJECTS, RIGHT-OF-WAY AND MEDIAN MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENTS, STREET AND BRIDGE SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS, SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS, BUILDING REPLACEMENT AND MAINTENANCE, INCLUDING SPECIFIC PROJECTS SUCH AS:

• MAJOR STREET MAINTENANCE AND RECONSTRUCTION IN NEIGHBORHOODS AND SIGNIFICANT CORRIDORS;
• MINERAL & SANTA FE INTERSECTION IMPROVEMENTS;
• DOWNTOWN STREETSCAPE AND PARKING IMPROVEMENTS;
• PUBLIC WORKS FACILITY REPLACEMENT; AND MAINTENANCE AND IMPROVEMENTS TO CITY-OWNED FACILITIES AT THE LITTLETON MUSEUM, BEMIS LIBRARY, THE MUNICIPAL COURTHOUSE AND OTHERS; AND PUBLIC SAFETY FACILITY IMPROVEMENTS;
• ENHANCED ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP IMPROVEMENTS SUCH AS SUSTAINABLE LANDSCAPE IRRIGATION AND CONSERVATION IMPROVEMENTS

AND THE CITY SHALL ANNUALLY REPORT THE PROGRESS OF SUCH PROJECTS AND THE EXPENDITURES OF SUCH REVENUES TO THE CITIZENS WITH REVIEW BY A BOARD OR COMMISSION AS APPOINTED BY CITY COUNCIL, AND SHALL THE REVENUES GENERATED BY SUCH SALES AND USE TAX INCREASE AND ANY EARNINGS FROM THE INVESTMENT OF SUCH REVENUES BE COLLECTED AND SPENT BY THE CITY AS A VOTER-APPROVED REVENUE CHANGE PURSUANT TO ARTICLE X, SECTION 20 OF THE COLORADO CONSTITUTION OR ANY OTHER LAW?

This will be a coordinated mail ballot election with Arapahoe, Douglas, and Jefferson Counties.

Mailing of ballots is expected to start October 11. More information is available from the county in which voters reside: arapahoevotes.com, Jeffco.us/elections, and douglas.co.us/elections.

The full list of unfunded capital projects is available on the city's Funding Fix website. For updates, visit www.LittletonFundingFix.org.

Mayor: Jon Buck, Carol Fey, Kyle Schlachter
District I: Patrick Driscoll, Candice Ferguson
District III: Stephen Barr, Paul Bingham
At Large: Krista Kafer, Gretchen Rydin

This press release was produced by the City of Littleton. The views expressed here are the author’s own.