What They're Saying

“Council did what it was supposed to do: it allowed people to vote on whether to allow this or not.””

Parker Mayor Mike Waid

Early election results show that Parker voters have rejected a sales tax increase to fund parks, recreation and open space.

The Douglas County Elections Office released updated results around 11:30 p.m. Nov. 3, and more than 70 percent of the 12,472 votes were against the half-percent sales tax increase. The increase would have paid for the expansion of Salisbury Park and O’Brien Park, and funded the purchase of open space and other projects.

Some residents opposed ballot issue 2A because it would permanently increase Parker’s sales tax rate. Lily Tang Williams, who voted against the measure, said she was pleasantly surprised to see that an “overwhelming majority” of Parker voters decided not to raise the sales tax rate from 8 percent to 8.5 percent.

“I guess the word got out,” Williams said.

The ballot question asked voters if the town’s debt should be increased by up to $39.9 million, with a maximum repayment cost not to exceed $66.9 million including interest. The money collected through the issuance of bonds would have made the projects happen immediately instead of in phases over the next decade or two.

Supporters have said more park space is badly needed to accommodate the recreational needs of the growing number of residents.

When reached after the second round of returns was released, Mayor Mike Waid said the results were “a success because the citizens had their voices heard.”

“Council did what it was supposed to do: it allowed people to vote on whether to allow this or not,” Waid said, adding the measure was driven by resident feedback.

The only thing that changes is the timeline for the projects, Waid said, and none of the plans will be eliminated. However, the mayor cautioned that it’s difficult to say whether future town councils will see the projects through.

With the federal deficit climbing, Williams characterized the result as a “small local victory.”

“We should pay for the things we need when we have the money. There is no need to break the bank,” said Williams, a Parker resident and chairwoman of Colorado’s Libertarian Party. “It’s not a good thing to teach our children about financial responsibility.”

It's unclear what percent of the total votes had been counted for the updated results.

Preliminary results

No - 8,802

Yes - 3,670

Total: 12,472