City of Boulder Ballot Question 2D
Sales and Use Tax Extension
Vote Yes
Question
2D, the third of the three open space/transportation measures on the
ballot, asks Boulder voters to continue an open space tax that expires
at the end of 2019 — but begin using that money for transportation
instead, and, eventually, the general fund. This question deals with the
same open space tax addressed in Issue 2B, and continues that proposed
0.15 cent sales and use tax through the year 2039. But instead of
being used for open space, during the first decade the money would go
solely to transportation, through 2029. In the final 10 years, through
2039, the tax revenue would be unrestricted, to be used for city
resources like fire, police, libraries, parks, recreation, human
services and other general-fund purposes.
Proponents
say the transportation funding is needed beyond the six years provided
in Issue 2B because of the serious structural shortfall in the
transportation budget, which was caused by the combination of rising
materials costs and declining sales tax revenue. They say ample open
space funding is provided in Question 2C, and that it’s important to
make the funding unrestricted after 2029 because the city’s needs will
likely have changed by then, and it’s bad policy to tie the city’s
hands to using money for a specific purpose long-term.
Opponents
counter that voters want to know specifically what a particular tax
will be used for before approving it, not give government free rein to
spend tax money willy-nilly. The PLAN-Boulder County board is urging a
“no” vote on 2D, and co-chair Ray Bridge says it is “a little bit of a
bait and switch” to continue a tax originally intended for open space
and then use it for something else. But we think it’s not a bad idea to
slowly rein in open space spending as the final properties on the
city’s wish list are acquired (after all, there is only a limited
amount of land left to buy) and use that money for purposes that are in
worse financial shape, like transportation. While we agree that having
a bunch of open-ended, unrestricted taxes that can be used — or
misused — by the government for anything under the sun is not a good
idea, we recommend voting yes on 2D.
View all of Boulder Weekly’s endorsements here.
