Press Release

Wednesday, Nov. 4, 2026

Colorado Municipal League releases fall 2026 municipal election results 

Contacts:
Kevin Bommer, executive director, kbommer@cml.org, (303) 562-0442
Maeve McHugh, municipal research analyst, mmchugh@cml.org 

DENVER, COLO. –  On Nov. 3, voters in 89 cities and towns across Colorado weighed in on local candidates and/or ballot measures in municipal elections. Of the elections scheduled, 46 are special elections. CML tracked 107 municipal ballot issues and questions across the state. Nine municipalities canceled their regular elections. The following results are not official and are subject to change. CML will monitor municipal election results for changes as results are certified. 

A regular municipal election is the date on which members of the governing body are elected, as scheduled by either state statute (statutory towns and cities) or charter (home rule municipalities). Ballot questions may also be voted on at the regular municipal election. Special elections are held on any date that is not the date of the regular municipal election. Many municipalities hold special elections that are coordinated with their county. 

Founded in 1923, CML is a nonprofit, non-partisan organization representing and serving the interests of Colorado cities and towns. CML provides comprehensive research and analysis of municipal issues and trends, including an assessment of municipal elections. Ballot measures being considered by voters in fall 2026 include: 

The following results are unofficial and subject to change:

Tax issues

Sales and use tax increases passed in:  

• Basalt – 0.5%, not to exceed 20 years, for public services facilities  
• Cedaredge –1% for roads, public recreation, public safety, and economic development 
• Edgewater – 0.5% for accessibility and mobility improvements 
• Mancos – 0.4% for street improvements and broadband 
• Oak Creek – 2% for the general fund  
• Palisade – 1% through 2034 for public improvements and emergency services 
• Pueblo - sales tax increase of 0.167% through 2031 to establish a special fund for the Pueblo Zoo 
• Sterling – 1% through 2031 for street improvements and maintenance 
• Sugar City – new 2% sales and use tax for general purposes 
• Wheat Ridge – 1% for community investments 

Sales and use tax increases failed in: 

• Centennial – 1% for public works related services 
• Frederick – 1% for transportation infrastructure and maintenance  
• Greeley – 0.6% through 2067 at the latest for a civic campus, special projects, and other city facilities and outdoor spaces  
• Green Mountain Falls – 0.5% through 2030 for capital improvement projects on town-owned property 
• Hot Sulphur Springs – new 4% use tax on construction and building materials for general purposes 
• Lakewood – 0.5% for public safety and traffic safety improvements 
• Monument – increase use tax on construction materials and equipment by 1.5% to match town sales tax of 3.5% 
• Orchard City – 0.75% for the general fund to support operational and service costs of the town 
• Pueblo – increase sales tax by 0.25% for the “department of fire and technology related to public safety sales and use tax fund” 
• Rocky Ford – 1.5% through 2029 for public safety 
• Sheridan – 0.5% for public safety 
• Walsenburg – 0.5% for law enforcement 
• Wellington – 0.5% for law enforcement and public safety 
• Woodland Park – 0.25% to service Woodland Park School District debt 
• Wray – 0.75% for street improvements  

Sales and use tax extensions:

• Alamosa – approved extension of 0.5% sales tax for streets trust fund through 2039
• Louisville – rejected extension of 0.125% sales tax for historic preservation through 2038 

Lodging, short-term rental, and vacancy taxes passed in: 

• Boulder – a vacancy tax of $4,000, adjusted annually based on CPI, not to exceed $7,000, on homes occupied for less than 184 days per year to support city services 
• Broomfield – increase lodging tax by 4.4% for a total of rate of 6% for housing authority * 
• Erie – new lodging tax of 3.5% for general purposes 
• Gypsum – new 4% lodging tax for public services and special events 
• Holyoke – extend existing 2.5% lodging tax to 2032 
• Morrison – two questions, one proposing to eliminate an existing lodging tax exemption and another to increase the lodging tax by 2% for a total tax rate of 8% 
• Mt. Crested Butte – increase short-term rental tax by 5% for total tax rate of 9.9% to fund critical community housing 

Lodging, short-term rental, and vacancy taxes failed in: 

• Cortez – 4% lodging tax increase to total rate of 6% for tourism and economic development 
• Crested Butte – excise tax on non-primary residences determined by square footage of the parcel and a flat vacant land tax 
• Northglenn – increase lodging tax by 3% for total tax rate of 8% for general use 
• Rifle – increase lodging tax by 3% for total rate of 5.5% 

Property tax mill levy increases or extensions passed in: 

• Brighton – mill levy increase for South Brighton General Improvement District  
• Lafayette – extend existing property tax through 2046 for capital improvements, operations, and maintenance of Lamont Does Park 

Property tax mill levy increases or extensions failed in: 

• Glenwood Springs – mill levy increase through 2046 for fire protection and emergency medical services 
• Kersey – extend existing mill levy through 2037 

All combined questions concerning sales taxes, mill levies, and debt failed: 

• Aurora – voters rejected all three combined debt and sales tax questions, each for a revenue bond serviced by a proposed sales tax through 2057: 
• A new 0.129% sales tax for operation of and repairs, maintenance, and improvements to community facilities 
• A new 0.064% sales tax for public safety 
• A new 0.132% sales tax for transportation 
• Boulder – voters rejected $400,000,000 in general obligation bonds for recreation, safety, and other capital projects and authorizes levying property tax without limitation as to the rate to satisfy the debt 
• Erie – proposed revenue bond of $32,500,000 for community center expansion repaid by proposed 0.501% sales tax failed 
• Grand Junction – voters rejected general obligation bond of $12,000,000 repaid by proposed 0.07% sales tax increase and general revenue to fund municipal pool; proposed sales tax will reduce to 0.03% upon repayment of debt to fund pool operations and maintenance 
• Longmont – sales tax increase of 0.33% and mill levy increase to fund public safety failed 

Marijuana issues: 

• De Beque – voters rejected a proposed occupational tax of up to $5 per pound of marijuana products sold 
• Paonia – voters approved removing existing occupational tax and will adopt 5% sales tax on retail and medical marijuana 

Other tax and fee issues passed in: 

• Cañon City – allow existing sales tax for construction of community pool to also be used for pool operations and maintenance and authorizing a multi-year fiscal agreement with a recreation district 
• Evans – expand permitted use of existing food for home consumption sales tax to include community benefit purposes 
• Haxtun – expand allowed use for existing sales tax to include street maintenance 
• Idaho Springs – occupation tax of $3 per customer per experience on outdoor recreation experiences with the ability to adjust the rate up to $5 per customer per experience * 
• Manitou Springs – increase excise tax on ticket sales and admissions fees by 4.03% for a total rate of 9.03% 

Debt 

Debt questions passed in: 

• Aspen - $100,000,000 for water treatment facility repaid by water enterprise
• Eaton - $5,000,000 revenue bond for street improvements and transportation projects paid by any legally available town revenue
• Winter Park - $120,000,000 in revenue bonds for regional transportation authority 

Debt questions failed in: 

• Berthoud – $28,000,000 in revenue bonds for parks and recreation repaid by existing sales and use tax revenue
• Frederick – subject to approval of separately proposed sales tax increase (failed), $26,000,000 general obligation bonds for street and transportation projects 

Municipal charter and code amendments and other questions

Changes to municipal elections passed in: 

• Akron – move election date to November of even-numbered years
• Lakewood – extend the timeframe for holding regular or special elections considering initiative ordinances and referenda 
• Longmont – two questions regarding ranked choice voting, one to adopt ranked choice voting for mayoral and council elections, and a second to align election cycles if ranked choice voting is approved 

Changes to municipal elections failed in: 

• Aurora – move election to November of even-numbered years 
• Lake City – move election to November of even-numbered years
• Louisville – increase threshold for initiative and referendum petitions to 5% of registered electors 
• Montrose – move election to November of even-numbered years 

Changes to council makeup, term limits, and rules for taking office passed in: 

• Broomfield – change mayoral term limits from three consecutive two-year terms to two consecutive four-year terms *
• Lakewood – clarifies when newly elected mayor and councilmember terms begin
• Louisville – change timing for taking office from first council meeting after the election, to first meeting after the certification of election results
• Montrose – establishing lifetime term limits for councilmembers
• Morrison – remove term limits for board members
• Thornton – require councilmember or mayor's seat be deemed vacant upon a formal declaration of candidacy for any other office 

Changes to council makeup, term limits, and rules for taking office failed in: 

• Branson – eliminate term limits for town officials
• Lake City – allow the statutory town to reduce the number of trustees from six to four
• Mountain View – change form of government to council-manager 

Land use questions passed in: 

• Castle Pines – voters approved two charter amendments, one proposing that the annexation of properties greater than 20 acres must be voter-approved, and the second stipulating any annexations of property greater than 20 acres within 180 days of the passage of this question must be referred to the voters
• Cherry Hills Village – voters approved a charter amendment affirming the city’s constitutional home rule authority to make all land use decisions, regardless of state mandates 
• Longmont – charter amendment prohibiting the sale or conveyance of open space without voter approval  

Land use questions failed in: 

• Salida – a citizen-initiated referendum on the zoning of newly-annexed land
• Walsenburg – amend city code to define permitted uses under a certain zone category 

Home rule charter adoption: 

• Cripple Creek – voters approved the adoption of proposed home rule charter 

General charter and code amendments passed in: 

• Boulder – two proposed charter amendments, one to guarantee collective bargaining rights for full-time fire department employees, the second to modify the City’s debt limitation to no more than 3% of the value of taxable property
• Denver – three charter amendments include clarifying the Auditor’s Office authority to continue to enforce wage laws, worker protection laws, and other workplace rights laws;  adjusting the budget and appropriation process, allowing for a two-year budget planning and adoption process as well as modernizing or repealing certain charter sections; and, modernizing the Civil Service Commission and Department of Safety by updating language, allowing City Council to add duties via code, and provide for an extension of probation when required for approved leave
• Lakewood – repeal and replace charter language regarding property tax increases to require voter approval
• Louisville – of four proposed general charter amendment, three passed: allow public meetings to be held in non-public facilities, require that the text of citizen initiatives be reviewed by City staff and available for comment at a public meeting, and update charter language 

General charter and code amendments failed in: 

• Creede – two questions, one allowing publication of ordinances by title only, and a second allowing the City to not publish proceedings related to bills and contracts in a newspaper
• Louisville – of four proposed general charter amendments, one failed: expand the topics for executive sessions
• Montrose – two amendments allowing city council to approve or disapprove the city manager’s appointment or discharge of the police chief and the city clerk
• Mountain View – allow for town boards and commissions to be established by ordinance, instead of voter-approved charter amendment
• Salida – allow publication of ordinances by title only 

Miscellaneous 

Animal welfare 

• Denver – voters approved an initiated ordinance to prohibit force-feeding birds and the sale of products derived from force-feeding birds 

Each utility and franchise agreement passed: 

• Broomfield – voters approved a twenty-year franchise contract with Xcel Energy beginning 2028
• Denver – voters approved a twenty-year franchise contract with Xcel Energy beginning 2027
• Glendale – voters approved a twenty-year franchise agreement with Excel Energy beginning 2028 

Incorporation of new municipality 

• Niwot – voters rejected incorporating as a municipality. Corresponding questions regarding formation of a home rule charter commission, and financial questions including authorization of debt, revenue retention, and establishment of a sales and use tax, property tax, and marijuana sales tax failed. 

Not all ballots were available at the time of publication. Any ballot questions not included in this press release will be included in the post-election summary. Colorado Municipal League thanks the municipal clerks who assisted CML staff in compiling this election information.

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Colorado Municipal League (CML) is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization established in 1923 and represents the interests of 269 cities and towns. For more information on the Colorado Municipal League, please visit cml.org, call 303-831-6411 or stay connected on Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube.