CENTENNIAL, Colo. - Centennial Issue 2A will appear on the ballot for residents living in Centennial.
If passed by voters, it would raise the sales tax from 2.5% to 3.5%. It would be the first time the sales tax rate in the city has changed in more than two decades.
"We have a transportation master plan. It has over $100 million worth of projects on it," said Centennial Mayor Christine Sweetland in August when the measure was approved to appear on the ballot.
South Metro
Voters to decide whether to raise Centennial sales tax for first time in decades
"Why can't the city just continue to not go in debt, save up for projects, then do the projects?" asked Denver7's South Metro Reporter Danielle Kreutter, back in August.
"Right, so, our revenues are just flattening," said Sweetland. "Those big box stores that were here when Centennial was founded, you know, Best Buy, Macy's, Sears — they've gone away."
In the past, the city would save up for expensive projects, like the bridge over Arapahoe Road. It took 10 years to save up to repair that bridge. The mayor said that strategy isn't working anymore.
"Our infrastructure is very old, and so we want to make sure that we don't have deferred maintenance," she said.
Sweetland said without any changes, the city's transportation infrastructure costs may outpace the available funding by 2028.
The city estimates 2A, if passed, would generate about $27 million a year to go toward road improvements, including paving, bridge repairs, traffic signals, snow removal, street sweeping and future road projects.
Some residents are pushing back against the ballot issue, including John Brackney, who was one of the original founders of the City of Centennial.
"There were five of us, and I'm the one that originally brought us all together," he said.
Back then, two of the major goals for the city were to be debt-free and keep taxes low.
Now, 25 years later, Centennial remains debt-free and hasn't changed its sales tax rate since 2003.
Brackney is not in support of increasing the sales tax rate from 2.5% to 3.5%.
"A 40% sales tax increase? Oh my God, we can't have that big of a tax for one level of government," Brackney said, "We should be very, very careful whenever we raise taxes. We're not angry. We're concerned about the future of our city."
He said he's concerned about the year-over-year added cost this would place on families already struggling to get by.
"I am much more concerned about trying to keep older people in their houses and younger people into a house, and the cost of groceries for all of us. When we add up those pennies, which add up to $27 million a year for the city, I don't want to dedicate all that to roads. How are we helping the people?" he said.
He suggests the city seriously consider annexing some of the unincorporated areas that are peppered in between the city limits to gain revenue that way.
"Having a cohesive city. It's the ethical. It's the moral. It's the logical. Instead of picking up the snowplow and driving a couple more miles, then dropping it down for an unincorporated area-it makes no sense. So, if you bring all that unincorporated area in and tax them. Well, guess what? It's commercial. It still pays more than residential, and the services aren't as extensive," Brackney said.
For now, he's hoping voters choose to maintain the current tax rate.
"We want [the city] to be good and friendly and kind and safe. We have it all. Congratulations! Don't tax us more when we've got it going good. That's what I'd like people to think about. Will their standard of living and their quality of life increase because of this tax increase?" said Brackney.
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