County of Boulder 1B - Sales and Use Tax Extension and Reallocation to Attainable Housing

In 2014, following the 2013 flood, voters approved a new 5-year 0.185% sales and use tax for flood recovery. In 2018 voters approved extending the tax for five years to pay for an Alternative Sentencing Facility for the Boulder County Jail. This year the county commissioners are asking to extend the tax for 15 years to go toward affordable and attainable housing. The current tax is expiring at the end of 2024 so if this extension doesn’t pass, the county can try again next year.

The county’s “Affordable Housing in Boulder County” fact sheet explains the impact of reduced rent. County commissioners planned to use a big chunk of the Worthy Cause sales tax, extended for 15 years by voters in 2017, for affordable housing. Now the county is asking for a separate dedicated tax for affordable housing. Meanwhile, the city of Boulder is piloting a guaranteed income pilot project to give 200 low-income households $500/month, no strings attached.

Recommendation: TAX

This feels like a case of the county commissioners combining “Oh! A tax is expiring. What would people support enough that they would vote to extend the tax? And can we extend it for 15 years instead of 5?” and “Let’s throw money at the housing affordability problem.” An arguably better option would be to make structural changes (rent control, inclusionary housing, living wages, eliminating requirements for developers to provide parking, etc) to address the housing crisis.

The city of Boulder has the highest housing costs in the county and the demand for housing is fairly inelastic. Housing in the rest of the county is not particularly cheap either. Reducing the effective cost of housing for a limited number of people through subsidies will help those individuals but is probably not going to have as much long-term effect as making structural changes.

Website for the Yes side
No known website – Info on an opponents’ website appreciated.
Information on Boulder’s guaranteed income program https://bouldercolorado.gov/news/city-boulder-partners-community-foundation-support-elevate-boulder-guaranteed-income-pilot#:~:text=Details&text=The%20Elevate%20Boulder%20pilot%20will,two%20years%2C%20no%20strings%20attached.

Website for the No side
No known website – Info on an opponents’ website appreciated.


Approved Ballot Language
Boulder County Ballot Issue 1B
AFFORDABLE AND ATTAINABLE SALES AND USE TAX EXTENSION AND REVENUE CHANGE

WITH NO INCREASE IN ANY COUNTY TAX, SHALL THE COUNTY'S EXISTING 0.185% SALES AND USE TAX APPROVED IN 2018 PURSUANT TO RESOLUTION NO. 2018-76 BE EXTENDED FOR FIFTEEN (15) YEARS FOR THE PURPOSES OF FUNDING AFFORDABLE AND ATTAINABLE HOUSING AND RELATED SUPPORT SERVICES WITHIN BOULDER COUNTY, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO: THE COSTS OF DEVELOPMENT, OPERATION, ACQUISITION, PRESERVATION, RENOVATION, MAINTENANCE AND CONSTRUCTION OF FOR-SALE AND RENTAL HOMES FOR LOW AND MODERATE INCOME HOUSEHOLDS AND LOCAL WORKFORCE; SUPPORTIVE HOUSING; SERVICES THAT SUPPORT HOUSING STABILITY; GRANTS TO HOUSING AUTHORITIES, NONPROFIT AFFORDABLE HOUSING PROVIDERS, AND LOCAL MUNICIPALITIES; AND SHALL THE REVENUES AND 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. 2023-070?

YES/FOR ___
NO/AGAINST ___

Resolution No. 2023-070 to refer Issue 1B to the voters
https://assets.bouldercounty.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Resolution-2023-070-Affordable-Housing-Proposal-signed.pdf
“Affordable Housing in Boulder County” Fact Sheet
https://assets.bouldercounty.gov/wp-content/uploads/2023/08/Affordable-Housing-in-Boulder-County-One-Pager-English.pdf