Ballot Issue 1C would extend Current Transportation Sales Tax

Sales tax in Boulder County has included 0.1% for multimodal transportation for more than 20 years. That tax is scheduled to expire on June 30, 2024. The Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) placed issue 1C on the ballot to allow voters to decide if this tax should be extended without an expiration date.

One service for which these funds are used is transit services, such as on-demand transit between Boulder, Lyons, Gold Hill and Fort Collins. The funds are also used to build regional trails and commuter bikeways; to make roads safer and resilient to natural disasters; and to fund community mobility programs, such as Mobility for All.

The funds are also used to focus on regional corridors, providing multimodal connections between communities using transit, bike and pedestrian facilities.

An important purpose of the funds from this tax is to provide matching funds for federal, state and regional projects. This is a requirement for most transportation grants.

If this extension does not pass, Boulder County will lack dedicated funding for transportation improvements and the seed money to bring in outside funding.

Proponents of the tax extension argue that this provides reliable funding for the transportation services that are important for the active lifestyle of Boulder County residents. Those residents want to commute by bicycle, make use of alternative modes of transportation, and enjoy recreation on outdoor paths and trails. The tax also funds basic infrastructure improvements on roads and bridges. Supporters also point out that this is not a new tax.

George Gerstle was the director of Boulder County Transportation for 12 years, and supports the tax extension. Gerstle emphasized that there will be no funding for transportation improvements if this issue fails. “Whenever the County touches a road it turns out better and makes maintenance easier,” Gerstle said. “There is a good overlap between the maintenance of roads, reconstruction, expansion and improvements.”

Opponents of the tax extension say that the fact that this is not a new tax is irrelevant because taxpayers would pay less after the current tax expires. They point out that unlike general county tax revenues, it doesn’t give residents control over how the money is divided between services that are important to them. In addition, residents might disagree on priorities for roads and bikeways.

Opponents also point out that this issue does not address the longstanding controversy about the lack of sufficient maintenance on subdivision roads in unincorporated Boulder County.