Salida's Question on Publishing Ordinances by Title
Government structureOrdinance publication
Asks Salida voters whether the city may publish its ordinances by title only instead of in full.
City of Salida
Kim's Recommendation
NO
Vote No on the City of Salida's Publishing Ordinances by Title question
In Salida, the full text of a proposed ordinance reaches the newspaper at least ten days before the City Council adopts it, and the council adopts it only after introducing and reading it at an earlier meeting. That publication puts the terms of a proposal in front of residents while they can still read it, weigh it and speak to the council before it votes. A yes vote lets the city run just the title in that notice, so a resident reading the paper before adoption learns what a proposal concerns but not what it requires.
State law already lets Salida publish an adopted ordinance by title, so this question changes the notice residents see before adoption. The savings the city expects could cost Salida residents something I value more: ten days with the full text of each proposed ordinance before the council adopts it.
I recommend a no vote on the City of Salida's Publishing Ordinances by Title question.
Kim Monson
Host, The Kim Monson Show · President, Colorado Union of Taxpayers · Colorado Voter's Guide 2026
Certified ballot question
Shall the City of Salida publish ordinances by title only rather than by publishing ordinances in full to satisfy the ordinance publication requirements in Colorado Revised Statutes 31-16-105 and 31-16-106?
A yes vote means
Salida could meet the state's ordinance publication requirements by publishing ordinances by title only.
A no vote means
Salida would keep publishing its ordinances in full.
Full Text Ten Days Before Adoption01
Under C.R.S. 31-16-106, the City Council may adopt an ordinance only after introducing and reading it at an earlier meeting and publishing it in full at least ten days before adoption. After adoption, the same section already lets the city publish the ordinance by title only in the same newspaper, reprinting in full any section amended after the first publication. On July 7, 2026, the council adopted three ordinances at second reading after public hearings.
C.R.S. 31-16-105, which sets the newspaper requirement, leaves one choice to the electorate: a municipality may determine at an election that title-only publication satisfies both sections in place of the full text.
Ordinance Notice After Either Vote02
A yes vote lets Salida meet both sections by publishing ordinances by title only. In a June update quoted by Ark Valley Voice, the City Clerk told the council the referral seeks authorization to publish ordinances by title only "on first and second reading." With a no vote, the council still publishes each proposed ordinance in full in the newspaper at least ten days before adopting it.
The Cost Behind the Referral03
The council adopted Resolution 2026-21 on July 7, 2026, placing the question on the November 3 ballot. The City Clerk's June update, as Ark Valley Voice quoted it, estimated that voter approval "could reduce City expenditures by approximately $10,000 annually."
Ark Valley Voice reported that officials said they will keep the complete ordinances available on the city's website and in printed copies on request. The ballot question does not contain that assurance.
Justia's copy of C.R.S. 31-16-105 (2025) requires municipalities to publish ordinances in a newspaper and authorizes a municipality to decide at a regular or special election to publish ordinances by title only, the legal basis for Salida's question.
The source is an Ark Valley Voice news article from June 16, 2026 that reports a Salida City Clerk reference to a July 7 resolution to refer a ballot question authorizing the city to publish ordinances by title-only, with estimated annual savings of about $10,000.
The source is an Ark Valley Voice news article about Salida City Council actions, including a vote to place a ballot question on whether the city may publish ordinances by title only.
The 2026 election is over. Requests for personalized guides closed on November 3, 2026. The full guide remains available to read.
