South Metro midyear: taxes, trails, and a November municipal ballot
By mid-August 2026, Centennial had placed a transportation tax on the Nov. 3 ballot, banned some of the fastest e-bikes from parks and trails, and Cherry Hills Village was in its petition window for mayor and three council districts.
Patrick Henry Sweeney, Associate Publisher ·
South Metro politics rarely waits for Labor Day. By mid-August 2026, Centennial had put a transportation tax on the Nov. 3 ballot, Centennial’s council had already banned some of the fastest e-bikes from parks and trails, and Cherry Hills Village was deep into its petition window for mayor and three council districts. Together, the three fights sketch the year voters will finish in November: who pays for roads, who shares the path, and who sits in the chamber.
Centennial’s 1% transportation tax
On Aug. 11, Centennial City Council voted to place a 1% city sales-and-use tax increase on the Nov. 3 ballot, Hoodline reported, citing the City of Centennial. If voters approve it, the municipal rate would move from 2.5% to 3.5% — the first city sales-tax increase since 2003 — with the new money dedicated to transportation rather than the General Fund.
City figures relayed in that coverage describe a Street Fund under strain: roughly $35 million a year to maintain and operate transportation infrastructure against about $15 million in dedicated revenue, an annual shortfall near $20 million. Officials have covered the gap with General Fund reserves; city projections say those reserves run out by 2028 if the measure fails. The city estimates the hike would raise about $27 million a year for snow removal, bridges, paving, signals, sweeping, and related work.
The system is large for a young city. Centennial maintains about 1,150 lane miles of paved streets, 94 bridges, 92 traffic signals, and nearly 30 miles of bike lanes, much of it inherited after the February 2001 incorporation, according to city material summarized by Hoodline. Existing local exemptions for groceries and residential utilities would remain under the proposal. Under Colorado’s TABOR rules, a rate increase must go to voters directly.
The measure has not passed. It is a ballot question for Nov. 3, 2026.
Class 3 e-bikes and e-motorcycles off Centennial parks and trails
A week after the tax vote, mobility rules moved faster than ballots. CBS Colorado reported that Centennial City Council unanimously approved an ordinance at its Tuesday meeting (coverage dated Aug. 19) banning Class 3 e-bikes and e-motorcycles from parks, open areas, and trails, effective immediately. Class 3 e-bikes are described as having motors up to 750 watts and assist up to 28 mph. Riders must be at least 16; riders under 18 must wear a helmet. E-motorcycles require a driver’s license, insurance, and registration, and riders must follow traffic laws on streets. The ordinance also bars alterations that push bikes to higher speeds.
The measure is identified as emergency Ordinance 2026-O-13 (Aug. 18), presented with Assistant City Manager Eric Eddy, developed with the Arapahoe County Sheriff’s Office, Arapahoe County open-space staff, and South Suburban Parks and Recreation. Councilmember Ashish Vaiyda asked how the rule applies on South Suburban land outside Centennial; Eddy said more action would be needed and that similar rules were expected from the districts. Greenwood Village, CBS noted, launched an online form for reporting illegal riding at greenwoodvillage.com/ebikes.
Cherry Hills Village’s Nov. 3 municipal election
Cherry Hills Village’s regular municipal election is set for Nov. 3, 2026, with the mayor and City Council Districts 2, 4, and 6 on the ballot. All seats are elected at-large. The mayor serves a two-year term (limit of three consecutive terms); council members serve four-year terms (limit of two consecutive). Terms begin at the January organizational meeting after the election.
The city’s candidate page lists current officeholders who are not term-limited for 2026: Mayor Katy Brown, District 2 Council Member Earl Hoellen, District 4 Council Member Susan Maguire, and District 6 Council Member Robert Eber. Those names describe who may run again — not a certified candidate list. Nomination petitions were due by 4:30 p.m. Aug. 24. The city scheduled a ballot-order lot draw for Sept. 1 during City Council. City Clerk Laura Gillespie is listed at 303-783-2732.
As of this package, The Villager is not naming filed candidates because a certified post–lot-draw list is not asserted here. Check cherryhillsvillage.com / the clerk for the official list.
What the midyear adds up to
None of these stories is finished. Centennial’s tax needs a majority. The e-bike ordinance is already law in city parks and trails but still raises district-boundary questions. Cherry Hills Village’s ballot is a November personnel fight whose cast list belongs to the clerk, not to guesswork.