Poundstone Amendment

Amendment 1
5 November 1974 (1974-11-05)

An act to amend Articles XIV and XX of the Constitution of the State of Colorado, concerning the annexation of property by a County or City and County, and prohibiting the striking off of any territory from a County without first submitting the question to a vote of the qualified electors of the County and without an affirmative vote of the majority of those electors
Results
Choice
Votes %
Yes 409,174 58.35%
No 292,040 41.65%
Valid votes 701,214 100.00%
Invalid or blank votes 0 0.00%
Total votes 701,214 100.00%

Source: Colorado Secretary of State

The Poundstone Amendment is an amendment to the Colorado Constitution enacted in 1974 concerning county annexations.[1] The ballot initiative was drafted by Freda Poundstone, a Colorado politician and lobbyist who opposed the efforts of Denver to absorb surrounding municipalities.[2] Supporters claimed the amendment would prevent Denver from abusing its status and size, while detractors pointed out that it greatly limited the ability of the city to absorb other school districts and thus end segregation in its schools.[3]

  1. ^ UCLA Civil Rights Project: Denver Public Schools, Resegration Latino Style Archived 2009-02-11 at the Wayback Machine
  2. ^ Greenwood Village Official Website: Honoring Our Heritage Archived 2008-12-25 at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Tom I. Romero, "Land, Culture, and Legal Exchange in Colorado's Mountains, Plains, and Deserts", 11 Exchange: practices and representations 125 (2005).