Wheat Ridge council endorses 1% sales-tax ballot measure
The Sept. 14 vote endorsed a measure already referred to voters for the Nov. 3 election; it did not impose the tax.
The Wheat Ridge City Council endorsed a 1% sales-and-use-tax ballot measure Sept. 14, adding a formal vote of support after previously referring the measure to voters for the Nov. 3, 2026, election.
The council approved Resolution 43-2026 with ayes and no nays recorded in the Sept. 14 council meeting. City staff described the resolution as a support action allowed under the Fair Campaign Practices Act.
The resolution did not refer the measure to the ballot for the first time or impose the tax. The council made the ballot referral Aug. 24 by approving Council Bill 16-2026 on second reading and adopting Ordinance No. 1849, Series 2026, according to the Aug. 24 council meeting.
If voters approve the measure, the tax would begin Jan. 1, 2027. It could raise up to $11.7 million in its first full fiscal year, with additional revenue in later years as the tax base grows.
The money would support:
- Street and infrastructure maintenance
- Bicycle and pedestrian safety improvements
- Preservation of community spaces at Wilmore Davis and Kullerstrand elementary schools
- Replacement of the Anderson Park outdoor pool
- Modern police and city-services facilities
- Operations and maintenance of those investments
City staff previously estimated that the revenue could support roughly $236 million in phased capital investments over a decade. That figure is a modeled financing-capacity estimate, not an appropriation or a commitment to complete every listed project.
Wheat Ridge’s current local sales-tax rate is 3.5%. A one-percentage-point increase would bring the city portion to 4.5% on taxable purchases, or an additional $1 for every $100 in taxable sales. The actual effect would vary by household and business purchasing and by which transactions are taxable or exempt, the city’s agendas and minutes show.