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Building Up Aurora: Inside the $53 Million Public Safety Sales Tax and Bond Measure

This November, Aurora voters face Issue 3B—a key decision to raise the city’s sales tax for the first time since 1993 to renovate neighborhood fire stations, build a new fire station, and upgrade 911 and police facilities.

Aurora is a fast-growing city that spans parts of Arapahoe, Adams, and Douglas counties, and its emergency responders are dealing with aging facilities and rapidly growing neighborhoods. For the City of Aurora, Colorado, keeping public safety facilities reliable requires long-term planning. The city says its 10-year capital plan identifies more infrastructure needs than it can afford in its annual budget, and Aurora has not raised its sales tax rate since 1993.

Our local emergency medical and fire services are the first line of defense during a crisis, but they cannot operate safely without adequate infrastructure. As neighborhoods in northeast and southeast Aurora continue to grow, the city’s fire and rescue needs are growing with them. This November 3, Aurora voters will decide on Issue 3B, a sales tax-backed bond of up to $53 million to renovate and build public safety facilities.

Three Decades Without a Sales Tax Increase

To identify the city’s most pressing infrastructure needs, the Build Up Aurora Infrastructure Task Force, formed by City Council in July 2024, spent roughly two years engaging the community and prioritizing projects. The resulting 10-year capital plan identifies $2.08 billion in priority infrastructure needs, including $900 million for public safety. Those needs exceed what the city can afford in its annual budget, so the City Council referred three separate capital questions to the November ballot.

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Among these referred questions, Issue 3B is designed to fund public safety facilities. If approved by voters, this measure would establish a new dedicated sales and use tax to pay for fire station renovations and a new fire station, along with improvements to the Aurora911 and police facilities.

Before reviewing the planned projects, let’s simplify the technical terms on your ballot. Under Colorado’s Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR), new taxes and new debt require voter approval. A sales tax-backed revenue bond is a form of public borrowing repaid using a dedicated slice of local sales tax, rather than property taxes. Because sales tax is paid on purchases made in the city, shoppers and visitors from outside Aurora also help pay for the facilities they may rely on while in town.

Inside the $53 Million Issue 3B Blueprint

If approved by a simple majority of voters on November 3, Issue 3B would authorize up to $53 million in bonds. The city’s project list for the measure includes the following (amounts are the city’s project estimates):

  • A New Fire Station 19 ($13.7 Million): Construction of a new fire station to serve southeast Aurora, including the growing Blackstone and Southshore communities.
  • Aurora911 Facility Improvements ($2.0 Million): Improvements to the Aurora911 facility that may include upgrades to interior finishes, interior and exterior lighting, and site security enhancements.
  • Fire Station Renovations and Improvements: The city lists an $8.02 million renovation of Fire Station 2, a $10.0 million renovation of Fire Station 3, and $8.5 million in additional fire station facility capital improvements. The Station 2 remodel is described as addressing operational limitations, updating interior finishes, replacing the roof, and improving building systems.
  • Police Station Facility Improvements ($8.5 Million): Improvements at Police Stations 1 North, 2 Central, and 3 South, including replacement of mechanical and electrical systems, ADA improvements, restroom remodels, workspace modifications, drainage and parking site improvements, and public interface enhancements. The city says Aurora Police Department buildings average more than 32 years old, with the oldest station built in 1950.

These investments are tied to response times and growth. Aurora Fire Rescue follows the National Fire Protection Association standard of arriving on scene at a structure fire within six and a half minutes, 90 percent of the time, and the city has said current response times in parts of northeast and southeast Aurora are outside that benchmark. A new Fire Station 19 would add fire and rescue coverage in southeast Aurora.

The Financial Math of Issue 3B

If voters approve Issue 3B, the city’s sales and use tax rate would increase by 0.064%, which equates to 6.4 cents on every $100 purchase. On its own, that would move the total sales tax rate in the Adams County part of Aurora from 8.5% to 8.564%, and in the Arapahoe County part from 8.0% to 8.064%. The ballot language authorizes up to $6,270,000 in additional tax revenue in the first full fiscal year, and as may be generated annually thereafter. The tax would run from January 1, 2027 through December 31, 2057 and would repay revenue bonds of up to $53 million in principal, with a maximum total repayment cost, including interest, of $101.6 million. Issue 3B is one of three separate questions; if all three pass, the combined increase would be 0.325%.

The written comments summarized in the official TABOR notice show a range of views. Supporters emphasize the need to update aging public safety facilities and improve emergency response capabilities, including response times, and note that the projects were identified through extensive public engagement. Opponents raised concerns about surveillance, funding oversight, and accountability, particularly for Aurora Police Department expenditures, and called for greater transparency and restrictions on how funds are used. Some commenters argued that taxpayer dollars should instead support community-based programs, and others cited economic conditions and household financial pressures or said developers should bear more of the cost of growth.

A Simple Action Plan for Aurora Voters

You can play a direct role in deciding the future of your local emergency services by taking these three simple steps:

  • Read the TABOR Notice: Review the official TABOR notice (often called the “blue book”) mailed to voters, which includes the full ballot language and summaries of the comments submitted for and against Issue 3B.
  • Verify Your County Residency: Aurora spans parts of Adams, Arapahoe, and Douglas counties, so your ballot comes from the county clerk where you live. Confirm that your registration and mailing address are current.
  • Locate a Secure Drop Box: Return your completed ballot to a secure, 24-hour ballot drop box in your county by 7:00 p.m. on Election Day, November 3. Ballots must be received by then, and postmarks do not count.

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