Let’s keep and maintain the valued Lamont Does Park and Great Outdoor Water Park by voting no on the twenty-year, $14.26 million dollar Lafayette tax issue 2A.
The Lafayette City Council has chosen to place another tax issue on the November 3rd ballot at the request of city management. I strongly urge Lafayette voters to vote no on this issue, the City of Lafayette Ballot Issue 2A, extending a tax, set to expire this year, for twenty more years for Lamont Does Park.
The Lamont Does Park and facilities are great and important city assets and should be maintained and updated by responsible, effective, and prioritized budgeting of current revenues and other current resources and not be dependent on a new tax issue.
The city may imply that the continued existence of the water park is dependent on the passage of the twenty-year tax. The truth is the park will continue either by responsible and prioritized budgeting of city resources or by another multi-million dollar tax.
In 2014, Lafayette voters approved a $5.52 million bond issue (repayment cost of $7.4 million) for the designing, acquiring, constructing, remodeling, furnishing… facilities at Lamont Does Park including building a water park. That property tax is set to expire at the end of this year.
This year City Council has placed a twenty-year property “tax extension” which will total approximately $14,260,000 on the ballot at the request of city management. City management represents that the property “tax extension” would only be about $37/year for the average home but that the current amount is about $22/year. The total amount raised per year is limited to $713,000. Over twenty years this would total $14,260,000, about twice the original cost of the facilities. That is not a small amount.
Also, this would be in addition to the city property tax bond approved in 2025, represented by the city to only be about $300 for an average home. That city property tax is also for twenty years, totaling about $120 million over that time. Again, not a small amount. The city gives an approximate cost increase for the average homeowner, but not the average renter (landlord possibly passing on costs,) not the average business owner in property tax or rent, not the average consumer who will see business costs passed on. Many residents are already struggling with high costs of housing, food, gas, and utilities and there will be other tax measures on the ballot as well.
In addition, the 2014 tax measure specified the tax would be used for (among many other things) “a renovated leisure/lap swimming pool.” City management reported to City Council at the July 7, 2026 meeting, via memo, that “During the construction of the GOWP, no improvements were made” to the pool. This despite this being specifically listed as one of the uses of the money in the 2014 ballot language. (GOWP, Great Outdoors Water Park)
Again, I suggest the city management recognize the importance of the facility. It is so important that the city should effectively and efficiently manage current taxpayer money and resources to maintain, upkeep, and update these facilities, and other city facilities, as opposed to having another twenty-year tax. These current revenues and resources should include the use of the Conservation Trust Fund and the Great Outdoors Colorado funding.
In terms of Lafayette city property tax, there has to be an effective “ceiling.” In pragmatic terms, it just cannot be increased repeatedly without limit. Any property tax in general reduces affordability of homes for homebuyers and reduces the ability for older fixed income residents to be able to keep their homes, commensurately. Another tax may be the easy way out for city management but the expectation should be that they effectively, efficiently, and appropriately manage the ample sales, use, property, other taxes, as well as fees, and other existing funding sources. The people of Lafayette have many honorable goals for city government including affordable housing, public safety, preservation of history, safe and sustainable environment, for examples. All of these goals are dependent on the effective, efficient, responsible, professional budgeting of current revenue and available resources, not in more and more longterm tax increases.
Let’s continue having and improving this great facility by voting no on this $14,260,000 tax measure.
Some may imply that the survival of the facilities is dependent on the passing of this tax. I suggest that the facilities will continue whether funded by a twenty-year tax extension or by responsible budgeting and prioritization of current taxpayer resources and use of the Conservation Trust Fund, and the Great Outdoors Colorado funds.
A representative form of government and our values are dependent on the freedoms and rights including those in the First Amendment. City management has use of taxpayer money to present one side of a tax issue, but does not present differing viewpoints or options. City management will need to present the contingency plan to council in case this issue does not pass. The city does not choose to do this now, prior to the election, but could easily do so showing how the needs can be budgeted for. Those individuals with differing viewpoints often do not have much resources. I respect the fact that reasonable individuals may have differing viewpoint.
These are my humble and individual opinions expressed here.
Roy Johnson, 44 year resident of Lafayette
