Castle Pines voters may get the chance this November to fundamentally change how their city handles large annexations. According to Denver7, a citizen-led effort has proposed charter amendments that would require voter approval for annexations involving more than 20 acres, with a second measure aimed at certain large annexations occurring around the election period.
The effort grew out of controversy surrounding the proposed Crowsnest annexation. Supporters say residents deserve a direct vote on major growth decisions that could affect traffic, infrastructure, open space and the character of Castle Pines. That concern is understandable. Growth changes communities, and residents absolutely should be paying attention. But there is a fairly enormous difference between having a voice in government and turning routine representative government into government-by-referendum.
We already have a system for deciding zoning, annexation and development questions. We elect people. They hold hearings. They apply codes. They make decisions. Then, if they make enough stupid decisions, we replace them. It is not glamorous, but neither is changing your furnace filter, and both are generally better handled without a citywide election.
The Bullet Point Brief
- The first proposed charter amendment would require Castle Pines voters to approve annexations larger than 20 acres. It also contains language intended to prevent a larger annexation from being chopped into smaller pieces to duck the voter-approval requirement. In other words, no municipal charcuterie board.
- The second amendment addresses certain large annexations occurring within the specified period surrounding the measure and would send them to voters for ratification. If no qualifying annexation occurs, the City Council could repeal that provision by ordinance.
- Supporters argue that residents want a personal vote on major growth decisions and believe requiring that vote would force developers to engage the public earlier. Fair enough. More public engagement is usually healthy. Requiring a municipal election every time the acreage meter trips 20 is another matter entirely.
- Castle Pines Mayor Tracy Engerman raised the obvious practical problem: annexations are complicated negotiations, while ballots are binary. Yes or no is wonderfully simple right up until the thing you are voting on contains roads, utilities, drainage, density, zoning, development agreements and about 400 pages of material nobody read before filling out the ballot.
- Supporters acknowledge that voter approval would add another step and more time to the annexation process. That is not a minor detail. It changes who makes these decisions and how large annexations move through city government.
My Bottom Line
This is absolutely, positively, 100 percent a bad idea.
We live in a constitutional republic, not a direct democracy. That principle does not become disposable because somebody proposes a subdivision you do not like. We elect representatives to handle the actual work of government, including the profoundly unsexy but important business of zoning, annexation, infrastructure and land-use decisions. If they get those decisions wrong, hold them accountable. If they repeatedly get them wrong, fire them at the next election. That is the deal.
And none of this means citizens should sit quietly at home while City Hall does whatever it wants. Quite the opposite. Read the public notices. Attend the hearings. Learn the code. Show up for public comment. Put your elected officials on speed dial. And when you argue a land-use case, bring something stronger than feelings, vibes and a yard sign. Tell your council member exactly where a proposal conflicts with the code, comprehensive plan, infrastructure capacity or commitments the city has made.
Direct democracy can feel wonderfully empowering when you are certain your side has the votes. It feels considerably less brilliant when the same mechanism is used by a different majority for something you despise. Representative government requires citizens to pay attention and elected officials to do their jobs. Castle Pines should demand both, rather than converting every large annexation into another campaign season.
Source: Local
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