2023 Local Elections

View unofficial election results on the Jeffco Election page!

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City of Golden Ballot Measures for November 7, 2023, Election

City of Golden voters will elect a Mayor and Councilors for District One and District Two. In addition to City Council elections, there are three referred measures on the ballot that City of Golden voters will decide on in November. The three measures include:

• Ballot Question 2K, which pertains to a property tax increase to fund the capital needs and operational costs of the Golden Fire Department
• Ballot Question 2L, which pertains to retaining and expending revenues received by the lodging tax in 2022 to be used as originally approved by voters,
• Ballot Question 2M, which pertains to describing City officials with generally applicable terms.

The following information provides full ballot language, background information, and support resolutions approved by Council on October 10, 2023.

CITY OF GOLDEN BALLOT ISSUE 2K

Ballot Language

Shall City of Golden taxes be increased up to $4,675,000 for collection in calendar year 2024, and by such amounts as may be generated annually thereafter, from an ad valorem property tax mill levy imposed at a rate of six mills to fund the capital needs and operational costs of the golden fire department, including the following purposes:

• attract, train, and retain the necessary number of firefighters;
• improve emergency response times;
• ensure firefighters have appropriate and necessary life-saving medical equipment;
• provide emergency vehicles and necessary equipment to strengthen local EMS, fire and wildfire response;

with all expenditures subject to an annual independent audit, and shall the city be authorized to collect, retain, and spend the proceeds of the revenue from such taxes and any earnings thereon without limitation or condition as a voter approved revenue change under article x, section 20 of the Colorado constitution or any other law?

Background

The City of Golden Fire Department was historically volunteer-based. In recent years, the Department shifted to incorporate both volunteer and career firefighters as the city and fire protection needs grew.

Golden, Fairmount and Pleasant View Fire joined together to hire AP Triton to author a cooperative services study in 2021 that looked at a merger of the Fire services (Fairmount has since been exploring merging with Arvada Fire Protection District). In 2023, the City worked with Emergency Services Consulting International (ESCI) to assess the Golden Fire Department to determine its future trajectory. This 2023 Golden Fire Department assessment included a comparative analysis of performance capabilities, finances, personnel impact, culture, governance and transition complexity with a stand-alone model as well as merger or inclusion within multiple regional fire districts. The final report was published and presented to City Council in May 2023, with staff recommending and Council directing staff to pursue the stand-alone model.

City Council Action

• View RESOLUTION NO. 2996 referring the measure to voters August 22, 2023
• View RESOLUTION NO. 3009, approved by City Council supporting the measure on October 10, 2023.

CITY OF GOLDEN BALLOT ISSUE 2L

Ballot Language

Without imposing any new tax or increasing the rate of any existing tax, shall the City of Golden be authorized to retain and expend all revenues received by the City in 2022 from the lodging tax imposed pursuant to ballot issue 2C approved by the city’s registered electors on November 2, 2021, with the revenues from such tax to be used as originally approved by voters, including addressing visitor impacts and funding community projects and capital improvements, and may the City continue to impose and collect the tax to the full extent of the 6.0% permitted by the original voter approval?

Background

In 2021, 62.77% of voters supported a measure authorizing the collection of a lodging tax intended to mitigate visitor impacts and enhance community benefits. A lodging tax is a common way to ask visitors to fairly and equitably contribute to the community they are visiting. The passage of this measure resulted in the Thriving Communities Fund distributing funds in the following three ways:

• Grant Funding
• Projects associated with visitor impacts
• Thriving community investments

Learn more about the Thriving Communities Fund and how it is specifically allocated.

In 2022, Lodging Tax revenues exceeded the initial Tabor Notice revenue estimate. The Colorado Constitution requires that these funds be returned to the taxpayers (in this case, largely visitors and tourists that stayed in hotels, motels or other short-term rentals within Golden) or the City must seek authorization from the voters to retain those revenues in excess of the estimate.

City Council Action

• View RESOLUTION NO. 2995 referring the measure to voters August 7, 2023.
• View RESOLUTION NO.  3010, approved by City Council supporting the measure on October 10, 2023.

CITY OF GOLDEN BALLOT ISSUE 2M

Ballot Language

Shall the City of Golden Home Rule Charter be amended to replace terms used to describe City officers and other persons with generally applicable terms (for example, replace “councilman” with “councilor”)?

Background

City Council passed Ordinance 2222 in August 2023 referring this Charter amendment to the ballot as required within the City of Golden Charter. View the City of Golden Charter.

City Council Action

• View ORDINANCE NO. 2222 referring the measure to voters August 22, 2023.
• View RESOLUTION NO. 3011, approved by City Council supporting the measure on October 10, 2023.