Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Ballot Measures Coliseum topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Commissioner asks court to consider returning Coliseum bond to May ballot after narrow defeat
Summary
Commissioner John Stout urged staff to prepare materials to place the Coliseum project back on the May ballot after it lost by roughly 700 votes in November; staff said a call for a May election could be considered at the Feb. 10 meeting with outreach work to follow.
Commissioner John Stout told the court Thursday he wants staff to explore placing the Coliseum proposition on a May ballot after the measure lost by a narrow margin in November.
Stout noted the measure failed by about 700 votes out of roughly 223,000 cast and argued the facility has proven community value as a mid‑sized, centrally located venue. He described the Coliseum as an "asset that has proven value in the community" and urged staff to prepare a targeted outreach plan if the court pursues another election.
The nut graf: staff said the court could act to call an election but would need to adopt an order to place a proposition on the May ballot. The window for calling a May election requires court action soon; staff recommended preparing financial and legal analyses for a February 10 presentation and said the court's March 10 meeting would be the next formal notice date for any CO financing if the court plans to pursue that in tandem.
Commissioner Demetria Olkin and others said they support giving voters another opportunity and called for more intentional outreach than the last campaign, including mailers and media buys, to increase turnout and clarify the project's scope and tax impact. Staff said they would provide the same ballot language used in November and circulate analysis and outreach costs to the court ahead of Feb. 10.
Ending: Staff will prepare a briefing for the court on Monday, Feb. 3 (information only) and a potential order for Feb. 10 if the court chooses to call a May election; staff said outreach costs and a community information plan will be part of the Feb. 10 materials.
