The URL can be used to link to this page

Home My WebLink About2026-06-08 Special Study Session NotesPage 1 of 4 NOTES CITY OF WHEAT RIDGE, COLORADO SPECIAL STUDY SESSION Monday, June 8, 2026 The Special Study Session was held in a hybrid format, with Councilmembers, City staff, and members of the public participating either in person at the Municipal Building (7500 West 29th Avenue, Wheat Ridge, Colorado) in Council Chambers, or virtually. CALL TO ORDER Mayor Korey Stites called the City Council Special Study Session of June 8, 2026, to order at 8:15 p.m. ATTENDANCE Councilmembers Present: Rachel Hultin; Dan Larson; Kathleen Martell; Scott Ohm; Mike Okada; Patrick Quinn; Jenny Snell; and Susan Wood. Absent: None Staff in Attendance: City Manager Patrick Goff; Chief of Police Chris Murtha; Deputy City Manager Marianne Schilling; Director of Community Development Lauren Mikulak; Senior Deputy City Clerk Onorina Maloney; and other staff as needed. PUBLIC COMMENTS ON AGENDA ITEMS No public comments were received in person, via Zoom, or through Wheat Ridge Speaks. 1. 2026 Polling Results City Manager Goff introduced the item, providing context that Council had directed staff at the April 1, 2026, workshop to poll residents regarding capital infrastructure priorities and potential ballot measure support for November 2026. Ryan Winger of Magellan Strategies presented the results of the ﬁrst round of polling conducted May 14–29, Page 2 of 4 2026, with 678 responses and a margin of error of 3.72 percent, weighted to reﬂect anticipated midterm election turnout. Key ﬁndings presented: • Infrastructure maintenance ranked as the highest priority, with 81 percent of respondents rating it a high or medium priority and 56 percent selecting it as one of their top two funding priorities. • Bike and pedestrian improvements and preservation of former school sites for parks and athletic ﬁelds received 58 percent when evaluated together. • A new Civic Center ranked lowest among the identiﬁed projects, with 42 percent of respondents indicating it was important. • A proposed one percent sales tax increase received 60 percent support and 38 percent opposition. • A proposed ten-mill property tax increase received 24 percent support and 74 percent opposition. • Fifty percent of respondents preferred a sales tax approach, while 31 percent indicated the City should not raise taxes at this time. • Fifty-six percent reported being more likely to support a sales tax increase after learning that approximately half of City sales tax revenue is paid by nonresidents. • Fifty-ﬁve percent agreed that the City spends taxpayer funds responsibly. Council Discussion and Direction: Council engaged in extensive discussion. The following points of consensus and direction emerged: Property tax: Council reached consensus that a mill levy increase should not be included in future polling or ballot measure development. Sales tax: Council directed staff to continue evaluating a sales tax measure as the primary funding mechanism for future polling and ballot measure development. Second round of polling supported: There was broad consensus to conduct a second, more focused round of polling in mid-July 2026 that would include draft ballot language. Council noted that a second poll could address questions about the preferred tax rate (one percent versus three-quarter cent versus one-half cent), ballot measure bundling options, the impact of a crowded ballot with other jurisdictions' measures, and Page 3 of 4 messaging effectiveness for lower-ranked projects such as the Civic Center and Parks and Public Works facility. Ballot measure bundling: Multiple Councilmembers expressed support for splitting the identiﬁed projects into two separate ballot measures rather than one combined measure. While the precise groupings were not ﬁnalized, a general preference emerged for grouping the top community-oriented projects together (proactive infrastructure maintenance, bike and pedestrian improvements, school site parks, and Anderson Pool) and separating the city administrative facilities (new Civic Center and Parks and Public Works maintenance facility). Mayor Pro Tem Hultin proposed an alternative framing of ongoing infrastructure maintenance items as one bundle and one-time capital expenditures as another. Final groupings were deferred for further development by staff. Civic Center: Council discussed whether to continue evaluating a Civic Center project despite lower polling support. Discussion included redevelopment timing considerations associated with the Lutheran Legacy Campus and whether additional public education and project information should be included in future polling. Competing ballot measures: Council supported including a question in the second poll to test voter appetite in the context of other anticipated November 2026 tax measures from overlapping jurisdictions, including Jefferson County Public Schools. Ryan Winger conﬁrmed this type of question is feasible. Timeline: Staff outlined that ﬁrst reading of ballot language would need to occur by August 10, 2026, requiring ﬁnal ballot language decisions by approximately August 1. A second polling study session was discussed for the July 27, 2026, Council meeting, with a potential Special Study Session on August 3, 2026, to ﬁnalize language. Community engagement: Mayor Pro Tem Hultin noted that the City's Engage Wheat Ridge initiative, launching in July with approximately 20 community events across all districts, would help inform public understanding of the capital needs prior to the second poll. Councilmember Martell requested consistent talking points for all Councilmembers to use at district engagement events. Mayor Pro Tem Hultin indicated that talking points would be developed following the study session. Stormwater/excise tax inquiry: Councilmember Larson raised the question of whether the City could levy a per-gallon excise tax on gasoline and diesel fuel as an alternative revenue source, noting that gasoline is exempt from local sales tax under state law. City Manager Goff indicated he was unfamiliar with that speciﬁc mechanism but would research the issue and report back to Council. Page 4 of 4 City Manager Goff conﬁrmed that suﬃcient direction had been received to proceed with drafting a second poll for Council review prior to distribution. ADJOURNMENT Mayor Stites adjourned the June 8, 2026, Special Study Session at 9:34 p.m. ________________________________________ Rachel Hultin, Mayor Pro Tem __________________________________________ Onorina Z. Maloney, Senior Deputy City Clerk