DALLAS — Colorado’s Regional Transportation District should shelve plans to for a tax-hike referendum this year or risk rejection of additional funds to complete the FasTracks rail projects by 2017, according to an advisory group.
At a meeting on Tuesday, the RTD Board will take action on the 2011 FasTracks Financial Plan, including whether to pursue a sales-tax increase and at what level. The board needs additional revenue to complete the $6.5 billion FasTracks project by its original target date of 2017.
Much of the work approved in a 2004 bond election is already underway, including a commuter-rail link between Denver International Airport and downtown Denver’s Union Station.
However, this year does not look promising for voter approval of a sales-tax hike, according to the Coalition for Smart Transit that advises the RTD board.
John Huggins, executive director of the coalition, and RTD political consultant Maria Garcia Berry said that an older and more conservative electorate that typically votes in off-year elections would probably not approve.
