2022 Boulder County Ballot Issues & Measures

Open House for Boulder County Wildfire Mitigation and Emergency Services Ballot Measures

Boulder County held an open house on Nov. 29 to obtain public input on recently passed ballot measures for 1A Wildfire Mitigation and 1B Emergency Services. In addition to this open house, the county sought input on ballot measures 1A and 1B through an online survey. The open house and online survey were the first steps by the county to engage the public in these two ballot measures.

Contact Jim Webster at jbwebster@bouldercounty.org or 720-564-2600 for more information.

2022 Boulder County Ballot Measures

Each year during the summer (typically late July or early August), the Board of County Commissioners considers whether to advance any county ballot issues to the November election ballot.

On July 22, 2022, the Commissioners announced details of proposed ballot measures, a public comment period, and August 4 public hearings.

On August 4, 2022, the 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 which would extend the county’s existing transportation sales tax. Boulder County residents had the opportunity to vote on the proposed sales and use taxes in the November 2022 election.

In November 2022, Boulder County voters approved all three ballot measures. The wildfire mitigation and emergency services sales and use taxes approved by the measures go into effect on January 1, 2023. The transportation tax extension goes into effect on July 1, 2024.

Ballot Measures

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

Wildfire Mitigation

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.

COUNTY ISSUE 1A (Countywide Wildfire Mitigation Sales and Use Tax and Revenue Change): SHALL BOULDER COUNTY TAXES BE INCREASED $11 MILLION ANNUALLY (FIRST FULL FISCAL YEAR DOLLAR INCREASE IN 2023) BY IMPOSING AN ADDITIONAL SALES AND USE TAX OF 0.10% FOR THE PURPOSE OF FUNDING WILDFIRE MITIGATION EFFORTS, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE FOLLOWING: STRATEGIC FOREST AND GRASSLAND MANAGEMENT PROJECTS TO REDUCE THE RISK OF CATASTROPHIC WILDFIRE, PROTECT WATER SUPPLIES, AND FOSTER RESILIENT ECOSYSTEMS; COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS AND PROGRAMS TO HELP RESIDENTS PREPARE FOR WILDFIRES, CREATE DEFENSIBLE SPACE AROUND HOMES, MAKE HOMES MORE FIRE RESISTANT, AND PROVIDE TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE AND FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE TO HOMEOWNERS; FIRE MITIGATION STAFFING; AND OTHER PROJECTS TO PROACTIVELY ADDRESS THE INCREASING RISK OF CLIMATE-DRIVEN WILDFIRES; AND SHALL THE REVENUES AND THE EARNINGS ON THE INVESTMENT OF THE PROCEEDS OF SUCH TAX, REGARDLESS OF AMOUNT, CONSTITUTE A VOTER APPROVED REVENUE CHANGE; ALL IN 2 ACCORDANCE WITH BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS’ RESOLUTION NO. 2022-050?

Read the resolutions below for the full text of the ballot measure, including recitals that provide background information:

RESOLUTION NO. 2022-050
RESOLUTION NO. 2022-051

Emergency Services

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.

COUNTY ISSUE 1B (Emergency Services Sales and Use Tax and Revenue Change): SHALL BOULDER COUNTY TAXES BE INCREASED $11 MILLION ANNUALLY (FIRST FULL FISCAL YEAR DOLLAR INCREASE IN 2023) BY IMPOSING AN ADDITIONAL 0.10% COUNTY-WIDE SALES AND USE TAX, DECLINING TO 0.05% AFTER DECEMBER 31, 2027, FOR THE PURPOSE OF FUNDING EMERGENCY SERVICES IN BOULDER COUNTY, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO THE FOLLOWING: CAPITAL, INCLUDING FACILITIES AND EQUIPMENT, AND OPERATIONAL COSTS OF SEARCH AND RESCUE ORGANIZATIONS; SUPPLEMENTAL FUNDING FOR THE NEEDS OF FIRE DEPARTMENTS IN MOUNTAINOUS AND RURAL AREAS; AMBULANCE SERVICES IN AREAS NOT COVERED BY MUNICIPAL OR FIRE DISTRICT AMBULANCE SERVICES; WILDLAND FIREFIGHTING STAFFING; AND TRAIL AND TRAILHEAD SAFETY SERVICES; AND SHALL THE REVENUES AND THE EARNINGS ON THE INVESTMENT OF THE PROCEEDS OF SUCH TAX, REGARDLESS OF AMOUNT, CONSTITUTE A VOTER APPROVED REVENUE CHANGE; ALL IN ACCORDANCE WITH BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS’ RESOLUTION NO. 2022-052?

Read the resolutions below for the full text of the ballot measure, including recitals that provide background information:

RESOLUTION NO. 2022-052
RESOLUTION NO. 2022-053

Transportation

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.

COUNTY ISSUE 1C (Transportation Sales and Use Tax Extension and Revenue Change): WITH NO INCREASE IN ANY COUNTY TAX, SHALL THE COUNTY’S EXISTING 0.10% SALES AND USE TAX FOR TRANSPORTATION IMPROVEMENTS BE EXTENDED FOR THE PURPOSES OF ROAD AND BRIDGE IMPROVEMENTS, TRANSPORTATION SAFETY IMPROVEMENTS, COMMUTER AND RECREATIONAL BIKE PATHS AND TRAILS, TRANSIT CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS AND EQUIPMENT, TRANSIT OPERATIONS AND MAINTENANCE, TRANSPORTATION DEMAND MANAGEMENT, AND COMMUNITY MOBILITY PROGRAMS; AND SHALL THE EARNINGS ON THE INVESTMENT OF THE PROCEEDS OF SUCH TAX CONSTITUTE A VOTER-APPROVED REVENUE CHANGE; ALL IN ACCORDANCE WITH BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS’ RESOLUTION NO. 2022-048?

Read the resolutions below for the full text of the ballot measure, including recitals that provide background information:

RESOLUTION NO. 2022-048
RESOLUTION NO. 2022-049
Countywide Transportation Funding Information Sheet

Proposed Boulder Public Library District – COUNTY ELECTORS PETITION ISSUE 6C (Library District Formation and Mill Levy Tax and Revenue Change)

The Library District is a proposal from a group of residents that submitted a petition pursuant to the Colorado Library Law, C.R.S. 24-90-107 with the required number of at least 100 signatures. The proposed district would cover the City of Boulder and portions of unincorporated Boulder County. As the relevant jurisdiction, the Board of County Commissioners for Boulder County has the duty to place the question on the ballot on behalf of the Library District that is requesting to be formed and funded.

The ballot measure was approved by voters in November 2022.

For more information about the proposed Boulder Library District, visit: boco.org/librarydistrict

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.