Chief of Staff Amber Ash told the Cheyenne City Council and attendees on Dec. 10 that city staff had compiled a high‑level package of projects being considered for a proposed sixth‑penny (6p) sales tax ballot. The presentation listed projects totalling roughly $122,000,000 across city departments, while the city’s share of the ballot is about $74,250,000, meaning officials will need to prioritize which projects move forward.

“We currently anticipate that collection will be completed in the 2026,” Ash said, and outlined an election timeline: municipal resolutions to the Board of County Commissioners by April 6, county approval by May 5, early voting beginning July 21 and election day on Aug. 18. Ash said the packet is a starting point for public input and that an online survey will remain open through Dec. 17.

The city presentation included a mix of public safety, infrastructure and community projects. Fire proposals included $11,000,000 for a new Station 2 at 503 West College Drive and about $9,770,000 for relocation and replacement of Station 6. Fire department vehicle and equipment requests included $5,020,000 to replace three apparatus (two Type 1 pumpers and a 107‑foot aerial ladder) and a $1,800,000 equipment replacement request covering turnout gear, SCBAs and radios.

Community Recreation & Events requested $10,470,000 to replace and expand Johnson Pool after the facility closed Aug. 10 because of leaks and rising operational costs. Ash noted that voters previously approved $2,250,000 for engineering and design in 2021.

Downtown investments and the depot museum were grouped under a proposed $5,000,000 downtown package (elevator replacements, maintenance shop, museum renovation and curb/gutter work). The city also proposed $4,000,000 to renovate the historic pump house to core and shell condition in order to attract tenants and preserve the building’s character.

Other major items included a $14.9 million estimate for the Reid Avenue corridor project (stormwater, utility improvements, multimodal access), $15,000,000 proposed for expanded road maintenance to supplement the current funding stream, $1,200,000 proposed to continue a minimum revenue guarantee (MRG) that supports two daily flights to Denver, $3,900,000 for phase 1 of an Arts and Aviation Center at the old airport terminal, and $27,000,000 for a municipal building remodel.

Ash stressed that many cost figures are preliminary and based on prior projects or planning documents. “Most cost estimates are based on professional planning documents,” she said, and added that the city will ask that projects selected for the ballot be fully funded to avoid incomplete scopes.

Mayor Collins and councilmembers emphasized the need to pare the list to match the city share and flagged timeline constraints: the city must complete internal decisions well ahead of county deadlines to meet the August election schedule. Ash invited the public to comment and said staff will provide further details, legal parameters and statutory guidance to the council as the process continues.

The city is collecting public feedback via an online survey (open through Dec. 17) and will follow committee and joint city‑county processes to bundle and finalize ballot propositions before placing them before voters.