Almost every Council candidate I talked to this summer said Boulder needs better north-south bike routes, but this one I rode on Folsom was awesome! New pavement, plus bollards to keep the cars away. Ballot Issue 2I might help improve all kinds of city infrastructure.

At their simplest, Ballot Issue 2I would extend an existing 0.3% sales tax for 15 years, to pay for city infrastructure and capital project grants for local nonprofits, while Ballot Issue 2J would authorize bonding for infrastructure projects.

Voters can vote in favor of both, against both, or for one and against the other. However, I’m writing about both 2I and 2J together in this post because they both could pertain to similar infrastructure projects.

What 2I Would Do:

Today, people who shop in Boulder pay a 0.3% sales and use tax called the “Community, Culture, and Safety” tax, but it’s scheduled to sunset on December 31, 2021. Ballot Issue 2I would extend this tax rate for 15 years, and it’s being called the “Community, Culture, Resilience, and Safety Tax.”

Ballot Measure 2I would primarily fund City of Boulder infrastructure, and the ballot measure text lists both specific projects it would fund and general objectives. The specific projects include:

  • Maintenance and improvement of streets and multi-modal paths
  • Replacement of deteriorated traffic signal poles
  • Replacement of the Central Avenue bridge
  • Improvement of the Boulder Creek Path corridor
  • Improvement of the Civic Area east of Broadway
  • Completion of the new location for Fire Station #3 on 30th Street
  • Relocation or reconstruction of Fire Stations #2 and #4
  • Purchase of emergency vehicles for the Fire Department to provide Advanced Life Support
  • Renovation of East Boulder Recreation Center
  • Acquisition from Xcel Energy of all of the streetlights in the city and converting them to LED lighting
  • Refresh the 44-year-old Pearl Street Mall

Up to 10% of the 2I tax revenue would go toward a grant program for capital projects for Boulder nonprofit organizations, including arts and culture organizations.

The remainder could be used for general city capital projects as needed. It’s expected that the tax extension would generate about $200 million over the course of 15 years.

For more information about projects: Visit the City of Boulder’s webpage at https://bouldercolorado.gov/projects/community-culture-and-safety-tax, and I’ll recommend looking at the City Council memo from July 20, but scroll through the pdf all the way down to page 203 (seriously) and you’ll find information about nonprofit discussions and capital projects from pages 203-216.

PRO FOR 2I

  • Adequate infrastructure is a core need for a high-quality city.
  • The 15-year tax will provide sufficient revenue in case the city needs to issue bonds for larger projects.
  • 2I is a tax extension, not a new tax rate.
  • While people might disagree with only allocating 10% of the 2I revenue for grants to nonprofits, 10% will still generate a significant amount of money.
  • Since it’s a sales tax, tourists and visitors will pay some of the tax revenue.

CON FOR 2I

  • Some people consider a tax extension to be akin to a new tax, since the old tax was set to expire.
  • 2I will cost city taxpayers a lot of money, especially given that it’s set for 15 years.
  • It’s a sales tax, and some people believe sales taxes are regressive.
  • Some people are disappointed that only 10% of 2I funding is designated for grants to arts and culture nonprofits.

What 2J Would Do:

Ballot Issue 2J would allow Boulder’s debt to be increased up to $110 million, with repayment cost of up to $158 million, which includes principal and interest. The revenue from 2I would be used to pay down this debt, and the ballot measure text lists the same projects as 2I as being eligible projects to be funded with this debt.

According to the city analysis in the Boulder County Notice of Election booklet, the city “conservatively estimated” a 5% interest rate for the bonds, but also said the actual rate would likely be lower in part because of the city’s AAA credit rating.

If 2I does not pass, 2J would be moot. Or, if 2I passes and 2J does not, the city might have a harder time starting projects since this new amount of debt for bonding would not be authorized.

PRO FOR 2J

  • Bonding allows larger projects to get started faster, and 2I provides funding to back up the bonds.
  • Bonding might also help the city start or complete projects in advance of rising construction costs.

CON FOR 2J

  • This measure allows the City to incur significant debt, while economic recessions or depressions that might affect sales tax revenues are always possible into the future.

Richard’s Take on 2I and 2J

Vote YES on both 2I and 2J. Even though these measures certainly involve a large amount of money, high-quality infrastructure is kind of a primary responsibility of a city. It’s sort of a tired old cliché that it’s important for governments to make sure they “fix the potholes,” especially since NOBODY DRIVES IN BOULDER (ha), but if you don’t like cars Ballot Issue 2I also specifies maintenance and improvement of multimodal paths. Plus, the “safety” part of the Community, Culture, Resilience and Safety title is well-represented with its focus on fire station and fire department needs.

I am aware that some people were critical of 2I for only devoting 10% to arts and culture capital grants, though I don’t think that’s a strong enough reason to vote “no.” However, I hope Boulder’s new overlords, whether it’s this year or farther into the future, will remember that there need to be things that make a city special in order to lure visitors and tourists, plus keep the city interesting for old and new residents. That’s to a certain extent going to require arts and culture, and that’s typically what I remember whenever leaving a city to which I’d like to return someday. Go see a show at the Palau de la Musica Catalana in Barcelona, then see a similar concert at Coors Event Center, and you’ll know what I mean.