Agenda Date: 08/19/2025
Subject:
Title
Resolution 77-2025: Authorizing an Intergovernmental Agreement between the Arapahoe County Clerk and Recorder and the City of Littleton regarding the conduct and administration of the November 4, 2025 coordinated mail ballot election
Body
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From: |
James L. Becklenberg, City Manager |
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Prepared by: |
Colleen L. Norton, City Clerk |
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Presentations: |
N/A |
PURPOSE:
Does city council support approval of an IGA with Arapahoe County for participation in the November 4, 2025 coordinated mail ballot election?
LONG-TERM OUTCOME(S) SERVED:
High-Quality Governance
DISCUSSION:
A signed IGA, which outlines the duties and responsibilities of each entity, is due to coordinating counties no later than August 26, 2025. These duties and responsibilities range from certifying ballot language and order of candidates, if any, translation to Spanish of all ballot measures, legal notices, pro/con TABOR statements, if any, and all other components required to run a successful election.
BACKGROUND:
Pursuant to C.R.S. Section 1-7-116(1), if the city and the county hold elections on the same day in November and the eligible electors are the same or have overlapping boundaries, the county clerk is the coordinated election official and shall conduct the election on behalf of all political subdivisions.
Prior Actions or Discussions
IGAs are completed with Arapaho, Douglas, and Jefferson counties for each coordinated election and specify the duties and responsibilities of the city as coordinating entity and the county.
FISCAL IMPACTS:
The cost of the coordinated election is based on the number of active registered electors and other considerations outlined in the IGA; there are approximately 34,100 Littleton registered electors in Arapahoe County as of July 31, 2025. The city will be invoiced for its pro-rata share of the actual cost of the election, divided between the city, county, state, and all other participating political subdivisions. The approximate shared cost of the coordinated election with Arapahoe County is $11,000 and may fluctuate depending on the number of questions submitted by the city to appear on the ballot, as well as the number of candidates.
STAFF RECOMMENDATION:
Staff recommends approval of the resolution authorizing the IGA with Arapahoe County to coordinate for the November 4, 2025, election.
ALTERNATIVES:
Coordinated elections save taxpayer dollars by sharing costs with all political subdivisions, counties, and the Secretary of State’s office. The city’s cost for an independent election held in March of 2023 was $146,000. The elevated cost of the stand-alone election was due to the city being responsible for covering all aspects of the election, from equipment rental and ballot printing and mailing, to hiring of election judges and an election consultant to oversee the day-to-day aspects of the election.
Coordinating with the county/ies also reduces voter confusion, as they receive one ballot with all content for the city, county, and state issues.
PROPOSED MOTION:
Proposed Motion
I move to approve Resolution 77-2025 authorizing and Intergovernmental Agreement (IGA) between the Arapahoe County Clerk and Recorder and the City of Littleton regarding the conduct and administration of the November 4, 2025, coordinated mail ballot election.