Expansion Pack: Question 1A
Question 1A seeks to amend a 1988 amendment allowing Denver County to annex land from Adams County in order to build DIA; essentially, Denver wants more land. The big selling points of the deal are commercial airport development, subsequent job creation, and shared tax revenue between Denver and Adams County--roughly half the amount earned from commercial development. Denver also agrees to an upfront payment of $10 from to Adams County, likely coming from DIA’s budget, the city’s budget, or a combo of both. (keep this in mind: this ballot is also asking you to agree to Denver borrowing $479 million for the National Western Complex. Hoping all this expansion works.) Part of Adams County (Aurora, Commerce City, possibly other surrounding municipalities) would become an “Airport City” of sorts (term the Denver Post’s), on par with other large cities’ airports that have similar set-ups.
Arguments For: 1) Tax revenue for Denver and Adams County; at the highest estimate, $270 million over three decades, garners $9 million a year, presumably split among both counties/cities in said counties. 2) Jobs, which is cool. Plus there’ll be a light rail out there now... 3). “Global attractiveness,” which could be an argument against, given the rising flood of people moving to Denver and our fair cities lack of affordable housing.
Arguments Against: 1) Adams County would lose more land to DIA; up to 1,500 acres. Two years ago, Adams County nearly demanded much of the land back, and this agreement came after no small amount of contention.
