STEAMBOAT SPRINGS — Ballots for the West Steamboat Neighborhoods annexation election must be turned into the secure ballot drop box at the Steamboat Springs City Hall or Routt County Courthouse by 7 p.m. Tuesday, June 25.

It is now too late to send a ballot by mail. 

Steamboat Springs City Clerk Julie Franklin said her office had received 2,387 ballots as of Friday. About 9,200 ballots were mailed to city voters.

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Franklin reminded voters to be sure to fill out, sign and date the voter’s affidavit on the ballot return envelope and be sure to include your residential address instead of a post office box.

“If the affidavit is not signed, the ballot is not counted,” she wrote in an email to Steamboat Pilot & Today.

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If passed by voters, the annexation would incorporate an additional 191 acres west of current city limits into the city. On that land, Brynn Grey Partners plans to build three neighborhoods for a total of 450 homes built over 16 to 20 years. At least 108 of those would be deed-restricted, placing a cap on how much the homes can appreciate annually and limiting ownership to people who work at least 30 hours a week in Routt County.

A successful petition effort sent the annexation to the ballot in a referendum election after the Steamboat Springs City Council approved an annexation ordinance in a 4-to-3 vote. The council members who voted against the ordinance expressed a desire to see a finalized U.S. Highway 40 access agreement or a desire to put the annexation to a ballot question. 

Colorado residents can register to vote or update their registration even on Election Day. To do so, visit the Clerk and Recorder’s office in the Routt County Courthouse in downtown Steamboat. County staff will provide a certificate of registration, which can then be taken to the City Clerk’s Office to obtain a ballot. 

If you’re a registered voter within city limits and haven’t received a ballot or need a replacement ballot, stop by the Steamboat Springs City Hall to receive a new ballot.  

For more information about the annexation, visit steamboatpilot.com/news/annexation or steamboatsprings.net/wsn.

To reach Eleanor Hasenbeck, call 970-871-4210, email ehasenbeck@SteamboatPilot.com or follow her on Twitter @elHasenbeck.