Governor Roy Romer signed the legislation creating the Scientific & Cultural Facilities District (SCFD) on July 1, 1987, with supporters gathered around his desk. In November 1988, 75 percent of Denver metro voters in six counties authorized the collection of the sales tax, producing about $14 million for distribution to regional cultural organizations starting in 1989. Today, more than $85 million will be distributed.
Picture from RMPBS
Since its initial approval by Denver regional voters, SCFD has had three successful renewal elections. Most recently in a 2016 election with 1.3 million voters participating, it won in all seven metro counties with a 63 percent average.
The district’s closest vote was in 1994, a mid-term election which saw an angry national electorate end 40 years of Democratic rule of the U.S. House of Representatives. It was also just two years after the passage of the tax limitations TABOR amendment in Colorado.
In the 2016 district-wide approval, the SCFD carried Boulder (71%) and Denver (73%) by its largest margins but also won the suburbs of Arapahoe (61%), Jefferson (59%) and very Republican Douglas (58%) by a wide margin–6 percentage points or more. Historically, more blue-collar Adams County is more resistant to regional tax-related votes. Adams voters said yes by 52 percent.
Although Colorado is now a blue state in its partisan orientation, it remains independent enough to say “no” on various statewide and local taxes to keep leaders, interest groups, and office holders cautious on tax initiatives. The next renewal will require SCFD to have support from a new group of leaders–such as the Metro mayors featured below.
Arvada Mayor Marc Williams, Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan,
Greenwood Village Mayor Ron Rakowsky and Denver
Mayor Michael Hancock with Popsicle at Mayors
Launch SCFD GOTV, Oct. 4, 2016
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