Lakewood residents voted to give up their TABOR refunds forever. The measure started with Lakewood encouragement, used tax dollars to see what words messaged the best, and raised over $50,000 from people who benefit from city dollars. The money will be used for basic city services like parks and public safety, freeing up money for other city pet projects such as electrification and homeless initiatives.
The final vote tally came out 61.7% in favor, 38.2% against.
The first campaign committee report showed that a majority of city council members donated to the committee including Councilors Sinks, Low, Shahrezaei, Rein, LaBure, Nystrom and Mayor Strom. Greg Stevinson also donated $10,000. Stevinson just had more land annexed by Lakewood in May, 2023.
The second report shows the Lakewood Police Union and Fraternal Order of Police Lodge 21 each made $10,000 donations.
An interesting note is the $5,000 donation from the Colorado Gives Foundation. In 2024, Lakewood started a partnership with the foundation, appropriating $500,000 to give them* to develop more affordable housing (see budget book pg 23).
*Correction 13 Nov – Lakewood appropriated the money to spend on Colorado Gives affordable housing projects but is not giving the money directly to Colorado gives.
This circular relationship shows that the TABOR refunds will not just affect parks and potholes, as sold by Lakewood.
Ironically, a day before the election, Councilor Roger Low went on a rant during the City Council meeting, expressing outrage that a resident petition was not honest with the residents who were signing it. He said that if residents were asked to sign a petition that is probably illegal, they wouldn’t have gotten as many signatures, and his hypothetical description is a “much more accurate title”.
This sentiment was echoed by the majority of councilor, just like they agreed with the TABOR initiative language that there will be no new taxes. However, the city leadership failed to disclose that no new TAX RATES is not the same as no new TAX REVENUES.
Lakewood residents will be paying increasing Lakewood tax revenues with the passage of this measure. The amount in resident pockets will get be lessened.