RTD 7A – Debruce RTD Permanently

The Regional Transportation District (RTD) provides public transportation in all of 4 counties, including Boulder County, and in parts of 4 other counties. All CU-Boulder students get an RTD pass with their student ID.

Voters are being asked to permanently debruce RTD. In 1999 voters temporarily debruced RTD while paying off bond debt; that debt should be paid off in November 2024.

From the Bell Policy Center website https://www.bellpolicy.org/2019/07/12/what-is-debrucing/: “Debrucing” is the act of eliminating the government spending limit and allowing that government to retain and spend all of the revenue it collects under existing tax rates. The revenue cap is part of the Taxpayer Bill of Rights (TABOR) and reduces the state’s ability to raise revenue and invest more funding into the priorities that Coloradans care about.

Recommendation: YES

Most jurisdictions have already received voter approval to debruce. Doing away with RTD’s revenue cap makes sense – as it has every time debrucing has appeared on the city of Boulder ballot.

Some people may be unhappy with RTD for not completing the FasTracks commuter rail to Boulder, but denying RTD revenue that it has already collected will certainly not help achieve commuter rail.

Website for the Yes Side
https://www.keepcoloradomoving.com/

Website for the No Side
No known website – Info on an opposition website appreciated.


Approved Ballot Language
Regional Transportation District Ballot Issue 7A

WITHOUT IMPOSING ANY NEW TAX OR INCREASING ANY TAX RATE, SHALL THE REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION DISTRICT'S ("RTD") AUTHORIZATION TO COLLECT, RETAIN AND SPEND ALL REVENUES IT RECEIVES FROM ALL SOURCES, INCLUDING ITS SALES TAX REVENUES, GRANT FUNDS AND OTHER MONEYS LAWFULLY RECEIVED BY RTD FROM THE STATE OF COLORADO OR ANY OTHER SOURCE, ORIGINALLY APPROVED BY THE VOTERS IN 1999, BE CONTINUED TO PERMIT RTD TO RETAIN REVENUE NECESSARY TO PROVIDE VITAL RTD SERVICES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO:
· PROVIDING TRANSPORTATION CHOICES TO LOCAL RESIDENTS BY MAINTAINING AND GROWING CURRENT LEVELS OF BUS, AND RAIL SERVICES;
· REPAIRING AND IMPROVING RAIL LINES, BUSES, BUS STOPS AND STATIONS AND OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE TO PRESERVE THE PUBLIC'S INVESTMENT IN TRANSIT;
· MAINTAINING THE AVAILABILITY OF SERVICES FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES;
· CONTINUING TO PROVIDE CLEANER, MORE EFFICIENT METHODS OF TRANSPORTATION OTHER THAN DRIVING ON ROADS AND HIGHWAYS; AND
· PROVIDING TRANSPORTATION SERVICES FOR YOUTH AGES 19 AND UNDER AT REDUCED OR NO FARES;
WITH ALL FUNDS SUBJECT TO INDEPENDENT AUDIT AND OVERSEEN BY THE ELECTED RTD BOARD; AS A VOTER APPROVED REVENUE CHANGE AND EXEMPTION FROM ANY REVENUE AND SPENDING LIMITATIONS UNDER ARTICLE X, SECTION 20 OF THE COLORADO CONSTITUTION?

YES/FOR ___
NO/AGAINST ___

Resolution 009 to refer Issue 7A to the voters
https://www.denvergov.org/files/assets/public/v/1/clerk-and-recorder/documents/elections/2024/ballot-measures/rtd-tabor.pdf

RTD TABOR Notice – See pages 28-30
https://www.denvergov.org/files/assets/public/v/1/clerk-and-recorder/documents/elections/2024/11.5-general/2024-eng-tabor-notice_final_1.pdf