DENVER–Depending on where you live in Colorado, the 2024 election ballot may seem like you just sat down to start a new novel, with a storyline that hikes taxes and debt,  makes changes to city and county charters, bans “trophy” hunting of mountain lions when it’s already illegal, and allows government employees to collectively bargain, among myriad other things.

Indeed, if 14 statewide ballot measures and a near like amount of judicial retention questions aren’t enough, many cities, towns, counties, school districts and other special taxing districts have piled on their own measures, making some ballots — such as Denver’s — as much as six pages long.

Complete Colorado looked at a few of the local ballots around the state, including Denver and Larimer County, where voters may need two pens to complete their ballots.

All voters in Colorado will decide on:

• President, US House of Representative seats, at-large University of Colorado regent, retention of Colorado Supreme Court justices, retention of Colorado Court of Appeals justices, and the 14 ballot measures that include six constitutional amendments and eight statutory measures.

In addition, there are numerous Colorado House of Representatives and State Senate seats up for grabs.

By far, the ballot in Denver — depending on where you live in the city — is anywhere from four to six pages long, including additional local elected offices and 12 additional ballot questions. Highlights from the Denver ballot are:

• Issue 2Q — Increase taxes by $70 million a year (initially, the measure also de-TABORs the increase so Denver can keep anything above the initial estimate of $70 million) with a .34 percent sales tax increase to expand Denver Health and Hospital Authority services.
• Issue 2R — Increase in taxes by $100 million a year (initially, the measure also de-TABORs the increase so Denver can keep anything above the initial estimate of $100 million) with a .5 percent sales tax increase to develop affordable housing.

• Referred Question 26 would add the Agency of Human Rights and Community Partnerships department to the Mayor’s cabinet departments.
• Referred Question 27 would remove the requirement that police and fire officers are US Citizens
• Referred Question 2U would allow non-supervisory employees in the City and County of Denver to unionize.
• Referred Question 2V would allow for non-binding arbitration if the city and firefighters union come to an impasse during collective bargaining.
• Referred Question 2W would change the way Denver City Council votes on salary increases for city council members.
• Citizen Initiated Ordinance 308 would the sale of fur products including the manufacturing, distribution, display, sale, or trade inside the city and county limits of Denver.
• Citizen Initiated Ordinance 309 would ban “slaughterhouses” in the city and county limits of Denver. Currently there is only one business that would be shut down, Superior Farms, one of the largest Lamb plants in the US.
• Denver Public Schools (Issue 4A) is asking for a $975 million debt increase with a payback of $1,900 million by expanding existing mill levies from 1998, 2003, 2008, 2012, 2016, and 2020. It would also allow the school district to increase the mill levies without limitation.
• Denver Downtown Development Authority (Issue 6A) is asking to increase its debt by $570 million with a payback of $847 million with tax increment financing and a “special fund” created by the city and county of Denver.
• Issue 7A asks voters to de-TABOR all current revenue collected by the Regional Transportation District.

A close second for ballot length may be Larimer County in Northern Colorado where (in additional to the previously mentioned state questions) Loveland and Fort Collins residents are being asked for multiple elected offices and tax increases as well, including:

• Ballot Issue 2A would increase taxes by $17 million yearly (initially, the measure also de-TABORs the increase so Denver can keep anything above the initial estimate of $17 million) through 2040 with a .15 percent tax increase for various road, bridge and other transportation needs.
• Fort Collins is asking for (Ballot Issue 1) an extension of its current .25 percent sales tax through 2045, also for transportation needs.
• Several charter languages clean up measures to be “more inclusive” by removing he and she references.
• Ballot Issue 2C would change various election procedures for Fort Collins residents.
• Ballot Issue 2D would also change various election procedures for Fort Collins residents.
• Ballot Issue 2E would increase the current sales taxes in Loveland by 1 percent for use in the general fund.
• Ballot Issue 2F would add a 5 percent tax to marijuana sales inside Loveland for use in the general fund.
• Ballot Issue 2G would allow Loveland to retain excess revenue above the TABOR cap through 2036 for use on police and fire expenses.
• Ballot Issue 2H would allow the sales of both recreational and medical marijuana inside Loveland city limits.
• Ballot Issue 2I would reduce the number of votes needed by the Loveland City Council to appoint or remove its city manager to a simple majority.
• Ballot Issue 2J would reduce the number of votes needed by the Loveland City Council to appoint or remove its city attorney to a simple majority
• Poudre School District, which encompasses mostly Fort Collins (Ballot Issue 4A) is asking for an increase of $49 million yearly, and increasing with the rate of inflation yearly for various ongoing operations.
• Thompson School District (TSD), which encompasses Loveland, Estes Park and Berthoud (Ballot Issue 5A) is asking for an increase of $13 million yearly, and increasing with the rate of inflation y early for various ongoing operations.
• TSD (Ballot Issue 5B) is also asking for new debt of $220 million with a repayment of $395 million for everything from new buildings to furnishings, HVAC systems, and other capitol upgrades.
• Vrain Valley Schools (Ballot Issue 5C), which encompasses mostly Longmont, is asking for a $740 million debt, with a repayment of nearly $1 billion for various capitol expenses.
• Larimer County (Ballot Issue 6A) is asking for $21 million yearly for transportation and general fund needs for the Poudre Overlook Public Improvement District, Ballot Issue 6B for an additional $18 million yearly for the Vine Drive Public Improvement District, Ballot Issue 6C for an additional $72 million for the Grayhawk Knolls Public Improvement District, Ballot Issue 6D for an additional $23.8 million for the Tanager Public Improvement District, Ballot Issue 6E for an additional $12 million for the Fox Ridge Estates Public Improvement District. All of the Larimer County ballot issues ask voters to de-TABOR the increases so there are no revenue collection caps.

Other counties where ballots are long and cumbersome include Mesa County where voters will decide on hundreds of millions in new tax revenue and debt for the Town of Palisade and the Mesa County School District; El Paso County, with 12 measures totaling more than $1 billion in new debt and taxes; and Pueblo County, which all totaled asks for $7 million in new revenue for Pueblo County School District 70 and a slew of changes to the election division.

Complete Colorado will track the outcome of these measures among others.