Myth vs. Fact | April 2026
What did voters approve when they extended the sales and use tax in 2017?
When people look at projects happening at The Ranch today, a common question comes up:
What did voters approve when they extended the sales and use tax in 2017?
The full 2017 sample ballot can be found here.
What voters approved
Voters approved the use of revenue from the 0.15% Larimer County sales and use tax for categories of improvements listed in the ballot question and more particularly described in The Ranch Master Plan.
In practice, that means support for The Ranch as a larger public complex that includes events, 4-H, youth, community, and fairgrounds-related uses. The ballot also allowed those funds to be used to build, improve, operate, and maintain The Ranch under the Master Plan, with the plan able to evolve over time through public process.
Voters did not vote on each future project by exact name; instead, they approved a broader framework for how The Ranch could continue to grow and improve over time. Voters continue to have opportunities for input as projects advance through stakeholder engagement forums, while staff work with external industry experts to test project feasibility.
What is the Master Plan?
The Master Plan is the long-range roadmap for how The Ranch can grow, improve, and adapt over time. It helps guide decisions about facilities, infrastructure, operations, guest experience, and future opportunities at The Ranch.
The Plan establishes the overall direction for the campus while allowing some project details to be refined as planning, design, and engineering progress.
As that work continues, project details may be updated based on studies, cost analyses, feasibility assessments, operational needs, and stakeholder input to help ensure projects are built thoughtfully and responsibly.
How the 2017 vote connects to the Master Plan Projects today
The Master Plan is organized into phases that reflect different types of work across the campus over time. Together, these phases show how the voter-approved framework is carried out across the campus.
Phase I: Community-Focused Foundation (2019–2024)
Purpose: Deliver community-driven improvements and core infrastructure that set the stage for future growth.
Phase I Projects
- Origin Arena
- The Ranch Equestrian Center: Warm-Up Arena Expansion
- Outdoor Riding Arena
- RV Lot (95 Sites)
- Arena Circle and Roadway Improvements
- 72-Acre Land Acquisition
Phase I shows how the voter-approved framework translates into community-serving improvements at The Ranch. These projects strengthen 4-H, youth and community use, equestrian activity, and the facilities and infrastructure that support The Ranch’s roots, agricultural heritage, and community mission.
Phase II: Commercially-Focused Growth (2025–2030)
Purpose: Expand and modernize The Ranch with new revenue-generating and guest-enhancing facilities, strengthening The Ranch’s competitiveness and supporting long-term financial sustainability.
Phase IIa: Publicly Funded Capital Projects/Investments
- Event Lawn
- Outdoor Amphitheater
- Event Plaza
- Infrastructure, Wayfinding, and Monument Signage
- Roadway & Utility Upgrades
- Youth Hockey and Sports Facility
- 4-H Sanctioned Outdoor Archery Range
- Event Center Expansion and Modernization-Blue Arena
Phase IIb: Public–Private Partnership (P3) Projects/Investments
- Exposition Center
- Full-Service Hotel
Phase II reflects the continued development and modernization of The Ranch as a year-round multi-event and entertainment complex. These projects focus on expanding facilities, improving infrastructure, strengthening The Ranch’s competitiveness, and helping the campus grow and evolve with the community while supporting long-term functionality and financial sustainability.
It is also important to note that not every Phase II project is funded in the same way. The Exposition Center and Full-Service Hotel are identified as Phase IIb Public–Private Partnership (P3) Projects/Investments and are planned through alternative funding and partnership models, not through the 0.15% sales and use tax.
Phase III: Long-Term Community Assets (2030+)
Phase III represents the long-range portion of the Master Plan. The current focus is the 72 Acre Expansion, which is in the concept planning stage and is intended to support long-term community needs in ways that complement and strengthen The Ranch grounds.
Phase III reflects the long-range nature of the voter-approved framework. It shows that the Master Plan is intended to guide not only today’s needs, but also future opportunities that help The Ranch remain useful, relevant, and responsive over time.
Is The Ranch a fairground?
The Larimer County Fair at The Ranch, where agriculture, 4-H, and community come together each year.
Yes. The Ranch is the Larimer County Fairgrounds.
From the beginning, The Ranch was intended to be more than a traditional fairgrounds. It was envisioned as a modern year-round, multi-use fairgrounds complex that supports the fair, agriculture, 4-H, youth, and community use while also offering a broader mix of events, recreation, and entertainment to enrich the lives of the Larimer County residents.
In other words, The Ranch’s roots remain central to who we are, and supporting those roots over the long term requires a year-round, multi-use fairgrounds model.
That is why the Master Plan includes revenue-generating and guest-serving improvements. Supporting the fair, agriculture, 4-H, and community use over the long term requires a campus that works as a whole, generates revenue, and remains financially sustainable.
How The Ranch supports agriculture, 4-H, and community use
The Ranch continues to support agriculture, 4-H, youth, and community use by hosting the Larimer County Fair & PRCA Rodeo, supporting equestrian and livestock activities, maintaining spaces used by community groups and nonprofits, and investing in facilities and infrastructure that help the campus function well overall.
That support is also reflected in dedicated spaces such as the McKee 4-H, Youth and Community Building, and Origin Arena, both of which directly support 4-H, youth, and community use. Both facilities are used by 4-H at no charge and are made available to community and nonprofit groups at heavily discounted rental rates.
Learn more and stay involved
Want to learn more about The Ranch Master Plan? Visit the Master Plan page on our website for project information, updates, and resources.
Looking for more ways to stay involved? Sign up for our monthly Master Plan newsletter or take the The Ranch Master Plan Community Engagement Survey.
You can also read more Ranch and Master Plan updates, news, and blog posts on our News page.