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Council affirms Carmelín annexation and sends contested annexation to June 17 special mail-in ballot

2967269 · April 8, 2025

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Summary

After citizens filed a valid referendum, City Council voted 6–3 to affirm Ordinance 25‑16 (Carmeline Addition No. 6 annexation) and then approved language and a mail‑ballot plan to place the annexation question on a June 17 special municipal election. Council and petitioners debated cost of a special election (city staff estimated about $500,000)

City Council faced a citizen‑initiated referendum challenging Ordinance 25‑16, which annexed the area known as Carmeline (Addition No. 6, roughly 1,876.24 acres northwest of Bradley Road and Curtis Road).

Under Charter §12‑60 the council first considered whether to affirm or repeal the ordinance. After discussion the council voted 6–3 to affirm the ordinance (Councilmembers Crow Iverson, Dave Donaldson and Nancy Hingeam voted no). By affirming, council did not repeal the annexation; the Charter then required council to decide whether to refer the citizens’ referendum to the ballot. Council then approved a resolution to submit the question to the eligible city electors in a special municipal election scheduled for Tuesday, June 17, 2025.

City staff told council the estimated cost for a stand‑alone special mail ballot election is approximately $500,000, excluding additional city staff time. The election plan calls for mailed ballots to city registered voters only (county voters outside the city will not receive a ballot) with UOCAVA ballots mailed May 2 and regular ballots mailed May 23; all ballots are due back by 7 p.m. on June 17.

Petitioners gathered the required signatures under the charter to trigger the referendum. Petition organizers and some council members framed the ballot as a public opportunity to weigh in on large‑scale growth, water and infrastructure. Other council members said the annexation decision had already been made by council and that it is appropriate to let voters decide.

Council approved the ballot language and the mail‑ballot plan; the council packet included two versions of language and council chose the clearer, shorter version offered by city attorneys. The adopted ballot question reads in part: “Shall the voters approve ordinance 25‑16 concerning annexing that area known as Carmeline Addition Number 6 consisting of 1,876.24 acres…into the City of Colorado Springs?”