A city can change without a ribbon cutting or headline. Sometimes the important stuff happens in budgets, engineering plans and building codes long before we experience the result from behind a steering wheel or outside our front door.
This week, several of those quieter decisions deserve a closer look.
The Budget Conversation Is Becoming the Community Conversation
Centennial’s Home Rule Charter requires the City Manager to deliver a proposed budget to City Council by September 20 each year, which means late September is an especially useful time for residents to begin looking at the priorities taking shape for the year ahead. The budget ultimately determines far more than spreadsheets suggest. It influences streets, public safety, infrastructure, open space and City services. (Centennial)
That discussion is particularly important because Centennial says its Street Fund currently receives roughly $15 million in dedicated annual revenue while transportation infrastructure requires at least $35 million annually, creating a substantial ongoing funding gap. (Centennial)
Explore Centennial’s City budget and budget process
A November Question Worth Understanding Before November
Centennial voters will also consider a 1% City sales and use tax increase in November, specifically intended to support transportation infrastructure. If approved, Centennial’s City sales tax rate would rise from 2.5% to 3.5%, with the City estimating approximately $27 million in additional annual revenue. Groceries and residential utilities would remain exempt from the City tax. (Centennial)
The proposed revenue could support road maintenance, bridges, sidewalks, bicycle facilities, traffic signals, snow removal, street lighting and future transportation projects.
Regardless of how any resident ultimately views the proposal, this is a good time to understand the numbers rather than meet the question for the first time on a ballot.
Read the City’s information about the November sales and use tax measure
Colorado Boulevard Is About to Look Different
Transportation planning becomes much more tangible along
Colorado Boulevard between Arapahoe Road and Dry Creek Road.
Centennial plans improvements to this one-mile stretch that will repurpose roadway space for multi-use paths and other safety enhancements. The project received up to $9.4 million in transportation funding, with 90% provided through federal and state funds and a 10% City match. Construction is anticipated to begin this fall. (Centennial)
For nearby residents, drivers, cyclists, pedestrians and people using mobility devices, the project raises a bigger community question: How should an established suburban roadway evolve when the people using it no longer travel in only one way?
See the Colorado Boulevard Multimodal Improvements project
Planning a Roof, Addition or Exterior Renovation? There’s a New Rulebook
Centennial’s adoption of the Colorado Wildfire Resiliency Code is another change homeowners may encounter without realizing it.
The code took effect June 30 and applies in designated wildfire interface areas within Centennial. Requirements can be triggered by certain projects, including additions of 500 square feet or more, work affecting at least 25% of a structure’s exterior, and roof replacements involving 25% or more of the roof surface. Centennial currently contains areas classified as low and moderate fire intensity. (Centennial)
That does not mean every homeowner suddenly needs to rebuild landscaping or replace materials. Existing conditions can generally remain unless qualifying construction or renovation triggers the code.
Learn what Centennial’s Wildfire Resiliency Code could mean for your property
One Meeting Worth Knowing About
The Planning and Zoning Commission is scheduled to meet September 23, continuing its regular role in reviewing the development and land-use questions that eventually become the neighborhoods, businesses and traffic patterns we experience every day. (Centennial OnBase)
View Centennial meetings, agendas and planning information
This Week’s Pulse
Good communities are not built only by reacting when something becomes inconvenient.
They are built when residents understand the decisions early enough to ask better questions.
How should Centennial pay for the infrastructure we expect?
How should our streets serve different kinds of users? How do we grow while protecting what people already value about their neighborhoods?
Those questions will not be settled in a single week. But paying attention before the concrete is poured, the budget is adopted or the roof comes off is a pretty good place to begin.
28 Comments
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At least they're looking at ways to keep what makes Centennial special. Balancing growth and neighborhood feel is tough. Let's talk it through early.
Hope the infrastructure upgrades also include better snow removal in winter. Been stuck more than once in the past couple years.
I always tell people to watch those city meetings, especially Planning and Zoning. If you care about your neighborhood, that's where it all starts.
Even with new codes, I doubt much will change unless the city enforces them properly. Curious who checks if homeowners follow the wildfire rules.
Love that they're opening budget talks now, not just after decisions are already made. Makes me feel like maybe we can be heard.
Does the city publish a breakdown of what projects would be prioritized if the tax passes? Hard to vote yes without a list.
The City will provide more detailed information on prioritizing projects if the tax measure passes, right now, examples include road maintenance, sidewalks, bicycle facilities, and more, but residents can find current updates on the City's website as the November vote approaches.
Colorado Blvd is due for a makeover. I walk it with my kids, and there's barely any sidewalks in places. Hope these improvements help us pedestrians too.
Will the new code make home renovations more expensive for everyone? Just trying to plan ahead for our remodel next year.
Centennial is changing fast. Glad we're updating codes for wildfire but none of this works if people don't actually review the plans or vote.
$27 million from the sales tax increase is big. I hope we see clear results, not just more patches and orange cones everywhere.
Seems like these budget talks always happen quietly. Appreciate the reminder to look at the numbers before it's too late to have a say.
I’d love more details about the bike path on Colorado Blvd. Hope it's wide enough for both bikers and walkers without fights over space.
I get nervous every time there's a tax ask, but our streets ARE terrible. If the money really goes to repairs and safer sidewalks, maybe it's worth a try.
Thank you for sharing your perspective, it's understandable to have concerns about new taxes, and that's why the article highlights exactly how the proposed revenue would be dedicated to transportation improvements like repairing roads and creating safer sidewalks.
We finished a roof update last year, glad the new wildfire rule didn't affect us! Important info for folks looking at big house projects.
I like that the new tax exempts utilities and groceries, but 1% adds up. Hope the city is transparent about exactly where the extra funds go.
Happy to see federal and state money covering most of the Colorado Boulevard project. That helps, but what about other streets that don’t get those grants?
You’re right, the Colorado Boulevard improvements are made possible by strong outside funding, but for many other streets without such grants, Centennial relies primarily on local funding, which is why the City is exploring additional revenue sources like the proposed sales tax increase.
That Planning and Zoning Commission meeting on the 23rd could get interesting. Those meetings usually have more impact than people realize.
chris_fYou're right, those meetings always end up shaping more of daily life than people think. I might actually tune in this time just to hear what they're planning, especially with all the changes coming up.
Wish they'd do more to address traffic AND speeders on Arapahoe. Roads need work, yes, but so do the enforcement and driver habits.
Appreciate the city making these topics available before they become emergencies. Hard to keep up sometimes but feels like residents have a chance to weigh in here.
The new wildfire code is news to me. We're in a low-risk area but still, with how dry things have gotten, it's smart to plan ahead. Anyone know if the requirements are pricey?
I drive Colorado Blvd daily and it's gotten rough. Glad they're finally putting in improvements for people walking and biking. Curious how construction will impact traffic this fall.
$15 million for streets but we really need $35 million? That's a huge gap. Makes sense the city is asking for more, but I wonder if we could find savings elsewhere first.
Great question, while the article notes the significant gap between current funding and transportation needs, discussions about potential savings and efficiencies are a key part of the ongoing budget process, which is an excellent place for residents to share input on priorities.
I didn't know the sales tax vote was coming up in November. Happy to see groceries are excluded at least. Might be worth it if our roads finally get some upgrades.