Parks & Open Space Ballot Question

In 1999, the Town of Frederick voters passed a 0.5% (half of one percent) sales tax to be used for the purchase, limited development, and maintenance of open space lands. The current tax can be used to create buffers to preserve community identity, natural areas, wildlife habitat and wetlands, allowing a continuation of existing visual corridors and addressing passive recreational projects like trail systems. The Open Space tax currently generates approximately $1.6 million per year. 

Since its inception, the tax has been used to purchase nearly 300 acres of open space, built over 10 miles of trails, constructed major improvements to Frederick Recreation Area and has maintained over 600 acres of open space and 22 miles of trails.

Examples include :

• Purchased the Marx Open Space (the field west of Milavec Reservoir)
• Purchased the Mendoza Open Space (185-acre parcel west of Aggregate Blvd)
• Developed trails around Milavec Reservoir, the Marx Open Space, Colorado Boulevard and Godding Hollow Parkway
• Developed and improved the Legacy Trail along Colorado Blvd
• Developed the Safe Routes to School Trail from Savannah subdivision through Carriage Hills to Thunder Valley School
• Constructed parking and access improvements to Milavec Reservoir
• Developed trail improvements in Centennial Park

The Open Space sales tax is administered under the guidance of a community-led advisory board, the Parks, Open Space and Trails (POST) Commission.

In the November 7, 2023 Coordinated Election, conducted by Weld County, voters said YES to Ballot Question 2C allowing the Town to add, develop, and maintain open space while also improving its local parks.   

UNOFFICIAL RESULTS

YES -2747
NO - 864

Ballot Question:

WITHOUT RAISING THE RATE OF ANY TAX OR IMPOSING ANY NEW TAX, SHALL THE EXISTING HALF CENT TOWN SALES AND USE TAX COLLECTED TO FUND THE MAINTENANCE, RESTORATION, ACQUISITION, AND PRESERVATION OF OPEN SPACE LAND BE AMENDED TO INCLUDE THE USE OF FUNDS FOR THE MAINTENANCE, ACQUISITION, AND CONSTRUCTION OF PARKS, TRAILS, AND RELATED AMENITIES AS A VOTER APPROVED REVENUE CHANGE?

Examples include, but are not limited to:

• Continue the development of the Town’s trail system.
• Add and maintain playgrounds, sport courts, trails, shade trees and other base amenities at neighborhood parks.
• Implement water conservation strategies in park areas.
• Add and maintain improvements to the Town’s Community Parks at Frederick Recreation Area and Centennial Park, as well as construction of a new Community Park west of I-25.
• Improve water quality, add and improve water-based recreational amenities at Milavec Reservoir.
• Add and maintain amenities and native vegetation in existing open space lands.
• Acquire additional open space lands to continue to preserve community identity, natural areas, wildlife habitat and wetlands and to allow continuation of existing visual corridors.