Gloria Handyside, Boulder County.  During public hearings on Thursday, August 4, the Boulder County Board of County Commissioners voted unanimously to put forward three ballot measures, which would introduce two new sales and use taxes to fund wildfire mitigation and emergency services and to extend the county’s existing transportation sales tax. 

Ballot Measures. Please note that a 0.1% tax is a penny on ten dollars. 

Wildfire Mitigation ballot measure: a proposal to establish a 0.1% countywide sales and use tax for the purpose of funding countywide wildfire mitigation efforts to proactively address the increasing risk of climate-driven wildfires in two programmatic areas. 

The first is to conduct strategic forest and grassland management projects, using Fireshed partnerships, to reduce the risk of catastrophic wildfire, protect drinking water supplies and create more resilient forest and grassland ecosystems. 

The second is to help and extend the Wildfire Partners program to residents in east county and continue work in the mountains to prepare for wildfires by making homes more fire-resistant using community partnerships, individual technical assistance, and financial assistance.

This ballot measure resolution was passed subject to replacing the word “rebates” with “financial assistance” with regard to helping homeowners make their homes more fire-resistant. A final version of the ballot will be added to the county’s website shortly. 

Emergency response ballot measure: a proposal to establish a 0.1% countywide sales and use tax, declining to 0.05% after five years, for the purpose of funding emergency response, including: facility, equipment, capital, and operational costs of search and rescue organizations; funding for the capital needs of fire departments in mountainous and rural areas; ambulance services in areas not covered by municipal ambulance services; wildland firefighting staffing; and other projects and services to address the need for emergency services and public safety in unincorporated Boulder County. 

Transportation ballot measure: a proposal to extend the existing 0.1% countywide transportation sales and use tax for the purpose of continuing to fund multimodal transportation needs, including safety improvements to roads, regional trails, and commuter bikeways; transit; regional transportation corridors; and community mobility programs. 

The county’s Transportation Master Plan (TMP) provides a blueprint for Boulder County’s transportation system improvements for the next 25 years, including projects, programs, and services throughout the county that provide mobility and connect people between Boulder County cities and towns, using all modes of travel. Learn more about the existing Boulder County Transportation Sales Tax at https://bouldercounty.gov/transportation/plans-and-projects/transportation-sales-tax-project-list/.

Full text of the ballot measures, including recitals that provide background information, is available on the county’s website. Boulder County residents will have the opportunity to vote on the proposed sales and use taxes in the November election 

Public Opinion Survey. Drake Research & Strategy, Inc. presented the results of Boulder County’s annual public opinion survey to the Board of County Commissioners on June 21, 2022. The survey, which was conducted in April and May of this year, showed support for wildfire mitigation, emergency services, and transportation. It is available on the Boulder County website.