[{"_1":2,"_98":-5,"_99":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,74,86],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},"mediaId",6358585,"mediaKeyId","2212123-8218bb4600796c615173fa461a53f855","parentId",2212123,"title","Aurora unveils ward-by-ward retail strategy to shore up sales-tax base, target problem centers","audioSeconds",2269,"startMs",7177000,"endMs",9446000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=2212123-8218bb4600796c615173fa461a53f855&start=7177&end=9446","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2212123-8218bb4600796c615173fa461a53f855/thumbnail_7177000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6358585/Aurora-City/Douglas-County/Colorado/Aurora-unveils-ward-by-ward-retail-strategy-to-shore-up-sales-tax-base-target-problem-centers","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6358585-b2e654be8fa2c0b477296e041336cb4a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771186598&Signature=jZSvxRM-E1iACob7pEoZQjHVaM-QcbY4zsC4fXEK1Iq0DlrscVOMQWalTSMkNPBnI-vUslHGEvvLKyCQPLjU-s3R8y8qCSaAjWCL08WfP3ds6a8LeP1tb47b~BgsbWR91s9FgmsJo4J3iMgHbGM~8Y6oIb92-giZVDJlsHBLO15EhYcB-IVwTWYXeP5j4wUSHUZi1s648YSUhZxuYAo2nNjLAU3wVSxYOI9l-aZe39QAkl2cQJoFJ-KtCYdl7iz6y3JKftIhYgMNGQcJ7n6qMlNwBFY-pUVJMaAB~eRx2yfvMmKgTti~0ZZ6efIDmSzxI4Wb4BIRNcc06nq7wsr~JQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","","date","2025-02-02T07:22:15Z","article","City planning staff on Saturday presented a year-long retail strategy aimed at stabilizing and growing Aurora's retail sales-tax base, ward by ward.

Janine Rustad, director of planning and business development, told council that retail accounts for about 57% of the general fund's revenue and that the city’s work will prioritize improving tenant mixes, center appearance and attracting high-volume anchors where feasible. “Retail sales tax are 50–57 percent of the general fund revenues,” Janine said, framing the case for an active municipal role in retail retention and recruitment.

Nut grafs: Staff said they have classified Aurora retail into four categories (primary centers, shadow areas, microcenters and secondary centers) and are proposing a set of interventions tailored to each center’s condition. The city will compile ward-level lists of underperforming centers, propose incentives and code- or planning-based tools, and track performance using metrics such as sales tax per rentable square foot and vacancy rate.

What staff reported
- Indicators and thresholds: staff use sales-tax per rentable square foot (a healthy benchmark around $300/sq ft) and vacancy (healthy threshold ≈90%) as primary indicators of center health; higher retail-theft rates (retailers told staff that 4% shrinkage is a red flag) are an operational concern.
- Ward snapshots: staff provided ward-level summaries. Examples: Ward 2 is rapidly developing with low vacancy; Ward 3 shows opportunities around the Town Center Mall; Ward 5 has older strip centers that may be candidates for redevelopment; Ward 6 hosts high-income neighborhoods and a successful power center (Southlands) that could attract additional anchors.
- Tools and incentives: staff said the city already uses targeted incentives (the restaurant program and sales-tax-related incentives such as the rebate used to secure Nordstrom Rack) and will compile a comprehensive incentives inventory to recommend new or modified tools. The report will also explore use of CDBG or urban-renewal tools when appropriate.

Council questions and staff commitments
Several council members asked staff to highlight which specific centers are highest-priority for intervention and to include an ROI-style analysis for proposed incentives. Ward members asked that staff identify centers that are likely to remain marginal retail environments and that the city consider redevelopment or mixed-use alternatives for those sites. Staff agreed to deliver a final report in April, a presentation to the Planning & Economic Development committee in May and a draft council resolution in June that would adopt the strategy and a prioritized implementation plan.

Ending: Staff emphasized they are already implementing many of the strategy’s tools while completing the final report. Council members asked for monthly updates and a clear set of metrics to track success.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","Winter Workshop February 1, 2025","oneSentenceSummary","City planning staff presented a retail strategy that ranks retail centers by health, proposes targeted interventions (crime prevention, incentives, redevelopment), and recommends metrics for tracking results; council members asked for ward-level priority lists and ROI-oriented implementation steps.","taxTitle","Aurora City, Douglas County, Colorado","taxId",5767,"location","headline","shortSummary",{"_33":75,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":76,"_41":77,"_43":78,"_45":79,"_47":80,"_49":81,"_51":82,"_53":83,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":84,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":85,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6358590,"'Build Up Aurora' task force launches outreach plan; consultants outline research-driven ballot planning",1815,5160000,6975000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2212123-8218bb4600796c615173fa461a53f855&start=5160&end=6975","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2212123-8218bb4600796c615173fa461a53f855/thumbnail_5160000.jpg","/articles/6358590/Aurora-City/Douglas-County/Colorado/Build-Up-Aurora-task-force-launches-outreach-plan-consultants-outline-research-driven-ballot-planning","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6358590-548d4cea027a100461a0d41fca08c877/orig.mp4?Expires=1771186598&Signature=E4s7xrwV12natU4~~phbJQnXcB-749r8jdqFgxnVXSMfoqInWk0kIhJ34a6Mu~3n55v7MJ1OoCzFi1EfVAHdx4cJGQHYvw2Xx1Q22Y3BpCGv~wNbX~JUb-W4L~35LAYF8DAoehSR0-icLlWQ7f2ZMQ1htHDT~Q8~pG1~NnCSC6rNheHSLwh1zftL1Te4eHnnX9Cz09KDzE3o4~2oVaNTBjmXAyy1GEIcQxKVpzQDmytLvyMn9IgNYo5ns7EFnCpszfoEjmsfzYwcK5r6ySMH4DJQqbSZSHReCy4pnO5ZM83Y8waF7VA5cazigdGDuv66YeXfYF-7QhFuSPNIc6ybMw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The council received a briefing on the Build Up Aurora infrastructure task force and its outreach plan as the city prepares for an extended public-engagement process that could lead to one or more ballot measures in 2026.

Laura Perry, deputy city manager, introduced consultants RD Seawold (Seawold Hampling) and Jake Zambrano (the 76 Group). Jake said the firms will work with council-appointed task-force members and staff to build a research-driven public process and communications campaign leading to a council decision about whether to place a funding question before voters.

RD Seawold described the approach as research-first and “disciplined,” saying the process will include polling and neighborhood-level engagement so the task force can recommend options that reflect community priorities. Jake characterized the community-outreach checklist as broad and iterative: staff will poll, host town halls, create a microsite and coordinate neighborhood and business outreach, with the task force meeting monthly.

Why it matters: council members voiced support for a transparent, evidence-based process. Several council members requested regular, monthly check-ins and made specific requests about making outreach accessible (in-person and online survey options, multiple time windows, and short explainer materials for residents). The task-force consultants said they'll deliver materials and metrics for the council to track progress.

Key elements of the consultants' plan
- Timeline and goals: consultants said their work is intended to identify priorities, test options with statistically valid polling and neighborhood input, and present a recommended ballot question (if any) well in advance of a 2026 election cycle.
- Outreach: a microsite (BuildUpAurora), digital surveys, targeted meetings with HOA and metro-district leaders, multi-ward town halls, and repeated opt-in polling to measure changes in public opinion over time.
- Transparency and process protections: consultants emphasized early disclosure of task-force membership and conflict-of-interest statements, repeated updates to council and staff, and using third-party polling to drive the task force’s recommendations rather than starting from a pre-determined question.

Council direction and concerns
Council members pressed consultants and staff on accessibility of engagement tools, the size and sampling method for polling, and how the outreach would reflect ward-level differences. The consultants said they will provide a microsite and multiple participation channels and will run at least two rounds of statistically representative polling to test options and language. Council members also advised coordinating any potential ballot question with other revenue proposals under consideration to avoid overloading a single election ballot.

Next steps
The consultants and staff will continue monthly task-force meetings, finalize community-research plans during Q1–Q2, and bring a set of vetted options and polling results back to the council and task force before any formal council action to place a question on the ballot. Laura Perry and the consultants committed to disclosing conflicts of interest and to frequent reporting to council as the work proceeds.","Consultants and city staff briefed the council on the newly created infrastructure task force (Build Up Aurora), describing an 18-month research and public-engagement plan aimed at developing voter options for infrastructure funding and coordination with the council.",{"_33":87,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":88,"_41":89,"_43":90,"_45":91,"_47":92,"_49":93,"_51":94,"_53":95,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":96,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":97,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":68,"_72":56,"_73":56},6358595,"Aurora staff warns of $11.5 million 2026 general-fund shortfall; council weighs options",1555,296000,1851000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=2212123-8218bb4600796c615173fa461a53f855&start=296&end=1851","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/2212123-8218bb4600796c615173fa461a53f855/thumbnail_296000.jpg","/articles/6358595/Aurora-City/Douglas-County/Colorado/Aurora-staff-warns-of-115-million-2026-general-fund-shortfall-council-weighs-options","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6358595-6ad298f3117a4b7b5c668c59589c8dd6/orig.mp4?Expires=1771186598&Signature=hQMpehnDBRdRsqrAPTC3HLMs5KsMkq76RCZo4NIDWk0fjVaJI7L4Mrt4-5m4sGCd0czIGuZ2D7S0js6RgSHx0PJKhA~0x88EuJ3oGGjbrVA3HGjFtcYFrloYadLe33E8jtzr40Z1Y22ytLAk7oMMLoIJKP3SOMuNqgBvauTPuv~3QfL4mZ1HfqsRLvBlRrjtxaUTUBgn9o9X50f4LuILDf4hbbKR1nZN-aKT9nXXwb-8ckvMY62pCbqSz7hEPcCuUpEXMX55~VOnf8mE9CglUNCvjYy8TE-Mv69eysnbLNphQwffJKdacACbvG6blpwbYKkj~10Z6cKjESYaaXAVlw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","City finance staff on Saturday told the Aurora City Council that while 2024 closed with a small operating surplus, capital revenues fell sharply late in the year and the city still faces an estimated $11.5 million shortfall in 2026.

Greg (staff member, finance) briefed the council and said, “The numbers don't settle down until around March,” warning that forecasts presented in mid-January are preliminary and subject to change. He reported a roughly $2.6 million net positive on the operating side for 2024 but said capital revenues were about $5 million below expectations, largely because building-material-use and impact fees dropped in the last quarter.

Why it matters: Aurora's operating budget depends heavily on sales and use taxes. Council members pressed staff about where any additional cuts or new revenue might come from, and staff outlined options that would affect services and personnel. Greg summarized the arithmetic plainly: personnel (personal services) is about 64% of general-fund spending, and without a mix of revenue increases and programmatic changes, reductions are likely to affect service levels.

Key revenue and expenditure details
- Sales tax: ended 2024 at about 3.7% growth versus a projection of 4.5%, producing a roughly $2.1 million shortfall versus forecasts. Auto use tax finished about $1.9 million (6.4%) below projection. Audit recoveries and other miscellaneous revenue added roughly $3.3–3.4 million and another $3.2 million, respectively, producing the modest operating surplus.
- Capital revenues: Greg said capital revenue fell off sharply in the last quarter, leaving the capital projects fund some $5 million short for the year and causing concern for the five-year capital plan because missing year-one revenue can ripple through 2027–2030.
- Impact fees and funds: Capital impact fees fell about $3 million from the prior year. Greg said some enterprise and restricted funds (golf, CTF, recreation, parks development, cultural fund, development review) performed better than expected, but fleet and risk funds, among others, showed pressure that staff will continue researching.

Council questions and options under consideration
Council members asked about several options staff listed as potential levers for balancing 2026, including:
- Programmatic reductions rather than across-the-board cuts. Greg said the assumption is programmatic reductions will be prioritized, but council will make final policy choices.
- Shifting costs between funds (for example, moving eligible expenses off the general fund and onto enterprise or dedicated funds where legally permitted).
- Timing or deferral of opening planned capital projects such as a proposed fire station; staff noted not opening one planned station could save roughly $2.5 million in personnel and startup costs in 2026.
- Sending certain domestic-violence cases to county court, an action council has directed and which staff estimated could yield up to $3 million in savings if corresponding staffing changes are made; staff cautioned those savings will materialize in later budget years as cases work through the system.
- Federal grants: Aurora Fire leadership said they are pursuing FEMA SAFER grant funding that could provide temporary payroll support to staff two planned fire stations (staff described a federal SAFER grant request that would cover roughly $5 million per year across the city for up to three years, if awarded), giving the city time to secure other revenue for ongoing costs.

Revenue-raising suggestions discussed
Council members and staff discussed revenue paths the city could study further:
- Adjusting the lodging (hotel) tax; staff said Aurora's current lodging tax is 8% and that roughly $1.0 million of revenue is generated per percentage point. Council members discussed placing an increase on the ballot and the possibility of working with exempt properties (named in the meeting) to capture some of the incremental revenue if a ballot measure moves forward.
- Re-examining existing retail and sales-tax exemptions (staff cited food for home consumption and prescription drugs as large exemptions) and potential targeted fee increases, including annual indexing of development fees and looking at a commercial transportation impact fee in places where the city charges residential impact fees but not commercial.
- Property-tax changes including debrucing under TABOR if council chose to pursue voter approval; staff noted the city returned roughly $17 million last year under TABOR calculations (a debrucing discussion would require voter action and coordination with county and state rules).

What council directed and next steps
Council did not take formal votes at the workshop. Staff recorded council interest in staff returning with:
- Updated revenue forecasts after the January/early-March collections and lead's projection, and a final 2024 close.
- Detailed lists of programmatic savings options, quantified estimates of vacancy-savings potential, and the timing for when any savings would materialize.
- A list of revenue options and legal/ballot steps needed for each (lodging, targeted fees, potential exemptions to revisit) and economic-impact analysis for any proposed tax changes.
- Additional detail on specific funds (youth violence prevention program, homelessness programs, marijuana tax allocations) where several council members requested clarifying breakdowns of underspending and expenditures.

Council members repeatedly cautioned that public-safety services are a policy priority for many on the council; several members said they would be reluctant to cut core police or fire services and asked staff to prioritize non-public-safety reductions and vacancy-savings where feasible. Staff said they will return in the spring workshop with refined projections, recommended implementation steps and updated fiscal scenarios for council review.

Ending: Staff emphasized that the figures were preliminary and likely to change as final collections and year-end bookkeeping are completed; the council scheduled follow-up briefing and asked staff to come back with the requested detail in advance of formal 2026 budget decisions.","City finance staff told the Aurora City Council an updated year-end close shows a small operating surplus for 2024 but mounting capital shortfalls and a projected 2026 structural gap of about $11.5 million, prompting discussion of staffing, program cuts and new revenue options.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Aurora unveils ward-by-ward retail strategy to shore up sales-tax base, target problem centers

'Build Up Aurora' task force launches outreach plan; consultants outline research-driven ballot planning

Aurora staff warns of $11.5 million 2026 general-fund shortfall; council weighs options