Arapahoe County receives poor report card for roads amid population boom
ARAPAHOE COUNTY, Colo. (KDVR) — The Arapahoe County Public Works and Development 2023 Report Card reveals that county infrastructure is stressed by the metro area’s ongoing population boom.
County officials told FOX31 that sidewalks, bridges, guardrails, snow gates and signs need repairs. The county’s $9 million annual budget is hardly enough when experts say a $26 million budget is needed for maintenance.
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“Our goal is to have 85% in excellent, good, fair. We’re at 59%, so that means we have a lot of roadways that are in poor or very poor condition,” Public Works and Development Director Bryan Weimer said.
County Commissioner Carrie Warren-Gully warned that public safety services, including law enforcement and programs to assist the homeless, may be affected by budget cuts.
Arapahoe County struggles to accommodate population growth
Arapahoe County is struggling to find ways to accommodate the growing population, which is similar to other counties affected by the recent population increase.
“By 2030, we’re estimated to be the largest, most populous county in the state,” Warren-Gully said.
The county also faces a tax burden.
“The county has been constrained by TABOR for the past 25 years,” Warren-Gully said of the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, which limits how much tax revenue the government can keep. “We are one of maybe seven or eight counties in the state out of 64.”
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In an effort to maintain full transparency, the commission is providing voters with budget and project information, proposed ballot measures and a place to provide input on the Arapahoe County website.
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