TABOR + taxes: Boulder County 1A, City of Boulder 2J and Prop NN

Who should pay for the world we live in? State + local tax measures force question of government funding into the spotlight Boulder County Ballot Issue 1A What does it mean? Should Boulder County raise property taxes by up to $30 million to pay for childcare? The spending breaks down into three main categories (more below):  • Tuition assistance for low- and middle-income families • Adding spots • Training + keeping teachers What will it cost? $79.31 per year for a home with an assessed value of $500,000 $115 for a home worth $725,000 (the county median) $158.62 for a home worth $1 million Commercial properties will be taxed at the rate 3-4X this amount, per state law Find your estimated property cost at brighterstartbouldercounty.org/faq (https://www.brighterstartbouldercount...) What will the money be used for?  • $20 million would be spent on direct tuition assistance or vouchers through CCAP, Colorado’s childcare assistance program, to address the 900-1,200 children on the waitlist. • $5 million would help childcare facilities add more spots and teachers, or otherwise grow their businesses • $2.5 million will be focused on teachers: helping train and retain them, paying for substitute care and shared workforce expenses between centers Why you might want to vote for this • Childcare is expensive: Nearly $20,000 per year, per kid, in Boulder County, on average.  • Federal + state funds to help pay for childcare have dried up. Hundreds of kids are not receiving care that otherwise qualify for assistance. • Even with declining family population, there aren’t enough spots for Boulder County’s children. Parents reporting being waitlisted for months before receiving care.  • When families don’t have care, parents (usually mothers) reduce their hours or leave the workforce altogether. The economic losses due to lack of care are estimated at hundreds of millions of dollars in the state. Why you might not want to vote for this • It is a tax increase. Though property values (and therefore taxes) are largely declining at the moment, this will cost homeowners more money. • Since landlords charge tenants for property taxes in commercial leases, it will also cost small businesses more money. However, the Boulder Chamber has endorsed the measure given the high costs and impacts of childcare on the workforce. More information + resources  • brighterstartbouldercounty.org (https://www.brighterstartbouldercount...) • static1.squarespace.com/static/69e28e0b1e41522d7004be4f/t/6aaad13d9008280d61311fb8/1789579581171/9-16.pdf (https://static1.squarespace.com/stati...) • coloradosun.com/colorado-child-care-out-of-reach/ (https://coloradosun.com/colorado-chil...) • denverpost.com/tag/child-care/ (https://www.denverpost.com/tag/child-...) City of Boulder Issue 2J What does it mean? Should Boulder put a tax on homes that are empty more than 6 months per year?  How much will it cost? $4,000 to start, and increasing annually with inflation. The maximum tax will be $7,000 per year. What will the money be used for? General operations of the city. The tax is expected to bring in $6 million each year, though the enforcement mechanism for identifying and verifying empty properties has not yet been decided.  Why you might want to vote for this • Advocates say empty homes cost the city money, because the owners are not here living and spending money in the city, yet infrastructure (roads, water, sewer, streetlights, etc. need to be maintained). Sales tax, the city’s main source of revenue, has declined along with the population. • The city is facing a budget gap of $6.3 million in 2027. This could close that gap, if the full amount were collected, without adding tax burden to full-time residents. • It would be paid by people wealthy enough to own multiple properties but who do not primarily reside in the City of Boulder.  • Up to 4,000 Boulder homes are estimated to be empty at least 183 days per year.  • A tax could (theoretically) encourage holders of empty properties to rent them long-term. (Short-term or vacation rentals are only permitted for homeowners who use the property as their primary residence.) Why you might not want to vote for this • It may not bring in as much money as the city hopes. Again, the enforcement mechanism has not yet been determined. It may end up costing significant staff time to identify and verify vacant properties, along with the standard appeals process.  • It is a small portion of the city’s overall budget: 1.4% More information • bouldervacancytax.org (https://www.bouldervacancytax.org/) • Vacancy tax proposal, BVHz April 1 (https://www.boulderfrequency.com/2600....