City of Boulder Ballot Issue 2B
Sales and Use Tax
Vote Yes
Issue 2B is one of three tax-related measures on the ballot related
primarily to funding for transportation and open space. This is the
short-term one that would increase the city’s sales and use tax by .15
cents through 2019 to provide funding to transportation. City officials
say there is a structural shortfall in the transportation budget caused
by the combination of rising materials costs and declining sales tax
revenue prompted by the recession. This tax increase would expire after
six years because that’s when an existing open space tax ends, and a
companion measure, 2D, would continue that tax but divert the revenues
from open space to transportation and, eventually, the general fund.
This short-term fix to the transportation budget seems to be the least
controversial of the three tax measures, because most agree that the
department badly needs the funding, and it doesn’t meddle with the
amount of tax money going to open space in future years, like the other
two do.
PLAN-Boulder
County did not take a position on 2B. Co-chair Ray Bridge said board
members were divided on the matter, in part due to concerns that the
transportation master plan calls for widening intersections, “which is
one of the best ways to increase traffic on the roads.” We think that 2B
is sorely needed to address this widening funding gap caused by
increasing costs and decreasing revenues, and while this funding is not
intended to address flood damage, that recent natural disaster only
underscores the need for sound infrastructure and the realization that
our roads, bridges and paths have a long, expensive road to recovery
ahead of them. Vote yes on 2B.
View all of Boulder Weekly’s endorsements here.
