Boulder Ballot 2017: Extending the Community Culture and Safety Tax

This November, Boulder voters will be deciding on several ballot measures, including whether to extend a tax that voters initially approved 3 years ago.

In 2014 voters approved a three-year tax of 3 cents on a $10 purchase to fund several community organizations and city projects.

The Community Culture and Safety Tax is now up for renewal and measures 2M and 2N will ask voters to approve the extension and the city’s bonding authority. A citizen advisory board considered proposals from several non-profits and then presented their recommendations to city council, which received input from the public.

It is estimated that the .03% sales tax would bring in $41 million over 4 years that would fund 7 city projects including: $12.5 million for the fire station; $5.5 million to overhaul the city’s outdated police and fire radio system; $5 million to expand the north Boulder library branch; $4.2 million to renovate and expand the pool at Scott Carpenter Park; $3.5 million for improvements to Fourmile Canyon Creek Greenways from 19th Street to Broadway; and $400,000 for public art.

In addition to the city projects, 7 community nonprofits will receive funding: $1.25 million for KGNU; $1 million for the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art; $822,500 for Community Cycles; and $87,500 for Growing Gardens; $1.75 million for Studio Arts Boulder; $1.6 million for Meals on Wheels; $1.4 million for the Center for ReSource Conservation.

Lynn Guissinger, chair of the Community Culture Safety YES! campaign says that the non-profits will be required to raise matching funds and will be held to strict standards by the city.

“They go into a contract with the city, it’s very carefully managed to make sure that the money is used in a way that provides community benefit.”

Guissinger says that voters overwhelmingly approved the original tax in 2014 and she envisions similar support for the extension, particularly as visitors to the city will also be contributing. “As a sales tax, half of this is paid by visitors to Boulder, it doesn’t all fall on residents. ”

The Community Culture Safety Yes! 2M 2N campaign has a kick off party on Tuesday September 12th from 5 to 7pm at West Flanders – 1125 Pearl Street, Boulder.

Read more about the benefiting community non profits here. Read more about the city projects here.