Boulder trip: Regionalism No. 1 priority

Regionalism is a large part of Boulder and the rest of the Denver metropolitan area.

“In a seven county area, every community, every mayor talks about regionalism,” said Tom Clark, executive vice president of the Metro Denver Economic Development Corporation and Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce.

Seven counties pulled together to build Invesco Field at Mile High and Coors Field and to create an arts and cultural district, Clark said.

The area also has a nine county economic district which is first committed to selling the Denver metropolitan area to companies before selling the individual communities, Clark said.

The Metro Mayors Caucus, an alliance of 37 mayors in the Denver metro area, unanimously supported the passage of a November 2004 ballot issue to increase the sales tax for the eight county Denver Regional Transportation District from .6 percent to 1 percent to fund a $4.7 billion initiative to build at least six new rail lines in the Denver area over the next 12 years. The measure passed 58 percent to 42 and the sales was raised on Jan. 1, 2005.

Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper and Boulder County Commissioner Will Toor will discuss regional thinking with leadership visit attendees on Thursday morning.

Compared to the Denver metropolitan area, regional cooperation is just beginning in Lexington.

Last Friday, more than 40 mayors, county judges and state legislators from 17 Bluegrass counties met at Keeneland for the first ever regional government summit. The leaders identified several top issues including education, water supply, economic development, transportation and dilapidated storm water and sanitary sewers.

- Michelle Ku