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Timnath council approves special election call, sets first reading to put 1.25% sales-tax rec center measure before voters

5566477 · August 12, 2025
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Summary

Timnath Town Council voted 4-0 to call a special election for Nov. 4, 2025, and held first reading of an ordinance to refer a 1.25% sales tax increase to fund a proposed recreation center; the town will sign an intergovernmental agreement with Larimer County to run the mail-ballot election.

The Timnath Town Council voted unanimously Tuesday to call a special election for Nov. 4, 2025, and approved first reading of an ordinance to place a proposed 1.25% sales-tax increase on the ballot to pay for the design, construction, operation and maintenance of a proposed recreation center.

Council members also approved an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) with Larimer County that will make the county the coordinated election official and the town clerk the designated local election official; the county will print and mail ballots and the TABOR-required voter information booklet and will split costs among participating jurisdictions.

The measure referred to voters would add 1.25 percentage points to the town sales tax while construction-related financing is outstanding; when the town no longer needs the full revenue for construction, the tax rate would be reduced to 0.25% to continue funding operations and maintenance of the facility, according to staff. The first-year revenue estimate used for ballot purposes in the ordinance drafting process was presented to council as $9,000,000 (town staff described this as an estimate for ballot materials). The council was told certificates of participation are the anticipated financing vehicle; those financing details would return to council for approval only if voters approve the measure.

Town staff said the county-run, mail-ballot election will likely cost substantially less than running a stand-alone town election; the county has not provided a final estimate but staff anticipated it may be on the order of tens of thousands of dollars. Council members asked about volunteer needs and were told the county will handle election judges and processing for the November coordinated election.

Council directed staff to set a public hearing and full public comment on the ordinance on Aug. 26, 2025; staff said the town must certify ballot language to the county in early September to meet election deadlines.

The council vote to call the special election and to authorize execution of the IGA carried 4-0. The first reading of the ordinance to submit the ballot issue also passed 4-0; the full public hearing on the ordinance is scheduled for Aug. 26, 2025 at 6 p.m.