[bouldercouncilhotline] Hotline: A Proposal for Sales Taxes on the 2013 Ballot from Suzanne and Tim

[cmosupport at bouldercolorado.gov]

Sender: Plass, Tim

Colleagues--
We have real concerns that placing three general sales tax measures on the ballot this fall is too much--even for Boulder voters who have shown their generosity at the polls many times in the past. The combination of the current .33 and
 .15 open space sales taxes along with the proposed new short-term .25 for transportation (and funding the Longs Garden) is a lot to ask of voters.
Instead we would request that you consider the option below. Our intent is to honor KC’s creative idea about repurposing dedicated open space taxes that are no longer needed, fully fund our Open Space program (including acquisition of Longs
 Garden), and provide some immediate and longer-term funding for transportation—while also preserving the option for future funding mechanisms (VMT tax, e.g.) that can be decided in the next couple years once the Transportation Master Plan and other financial
 studies have been completed.

To that end, we propose that we put only two general sales tax measures on the ballot. The first would be short-term funding for transportation. The second would be the re-upping of the .33 tax currently dedicated to open space. We would
 leave the .15 open space sales tax for consideration by the voters in the next couple of years. (We did not lump the recreational marijuana sales/excise tax into this discussion because we felt that it stands alone in the sense that it only applies to those
 people who wholesale/buy recreational marijuana and therefore likely has a different calculus for support from the voters.)

The Details:

The Short Term Transportation Tax--Given the need for transportation funding in the immediate future and the lack of support garnered by the TMF, we propose putting the short-term measure on the 2013 ballot until we can provide a
 more comprehensive, long-term and much-needed funding mechanism for transportation—including the option to redirect currently dedicated funds from open space taxes that are no longer needed. However, we propose changing the tax rate from .25 to .15. The .15
 rate would give transportation approximately $4 million/yr--enough to address pressing pavement needs and then some. 
The .33 Sales Tax Currently Dedicated to Open Space--We suggest putting this tax renewal on the ballot with the following allocation: .25-.20 to open space and .08-.13 to transportation/general fund. The .20 amount for open space
 breaks down as follows: .15 for acquisitions and .05 to cover the elimination of the general fund transfer. The .25 amount also includes an additional .05 to cover other anticipated costs related to local food (including Longs Garden), regional trails and
 mineral/subsurface rights. The .08-.13--which represents somewhere in the vicinity of $2.2-3.6 million/yr.--would go to fund transportation or other general fund needs. Ending the General Fund transfer to Open Space would also free up more money within the
 General Fund for other city needs.
The .15 Sales Tax Currently Dedicated to Open Space --We would suggest not placing this tax renewal on the 2013 ballot, but rather doing it at a later year with the thought that proceeds from this tax currently dedicated to open
 space could be redirected to other city needs, with the approval of the voters, of course. This redirecting of dollars, in an incremental approach, reflects a more mature open space program which gives us the ability to use those dollars elsewhere as advocated
 by KC and others to assure our fiscal future.
We look forward to hearing your thoughts.
Tim and Suzanne