Front Range rail tax proposal could include Littleton, Centennial
A Littleton advisory board heard that a proposed Front Range Passenger Rail district would likely use a 0.33% sales tax and decide Aug. 28 whether to send the measure to voters.
A proposed Front Range Passenger Rail tax district could include Littleton and Centennial, with district officials modeling a 0.33% sales tax and planning an Aug. 28 decision on whether to refer the measure to voters, according to a July 7 Littleton Next Generation Advisory Board meeting.
Staff told the board the district planned to publish a delivery plan July 13 and that phase two of the project would require new sales-tax revenue. The transcript says the proposal uses a five-mile radius around stations, which would place Littleton and Centennial inside the district, and models a 0.33% tax — about 33 cents per $100 in taxable purchases.
Board members discussed Mineral Station as the local stop most directly tied to the project. According to the transcript, potential benefits mentioned at the meeting included economic development near the station, sidewalks and bike access, and a connection to a broader Front Range intercity rail line.
The meeting record does not show Arapahoe County taking a formal position. The agenda referenced only a possible advisory-board letter of support, and the transcript indicates members were discussing a general letter supporting continued engagement rather than taking a vote.
Some board members raised concerns about asking voters for another tax amid affordability pressures and about how a regional rail district would fit alongside RTD's existing service challenges. One member questioned whether the proposal would create what amounted to “two RTDs.”
The July 13 delivery plan is expected to provide the next public details on service and station impacts. The record reviewed here shows a proposal in development, not an approved ballot measure.