A majority of Boulder City Council said on May 8 they don’t plan to place a vacancy tax measure on this year’s ballot, citing concerns it could interfere with other tax measures.
The proposed tax would likely target second homes and aim to encourage homeowners to rent out underused properties, making better use of the city’s limited housing stock. A $7,000-per-unit annual tax could generate between $2 million and $3.4 million in revenue, according to recent city estimates.
While most councilmembers said they support the idea, they said they prefer to revisit a potential measure in 2026 or explore it as a fee, which would not require voter approval. This year, their priority is to extend the 0.30% Community, Culture, Resilience and Safety (CCRS) sales and use tax and, possibly, to refer a new property tax to fund capital projects and maintenance of public spaces.
City officials estimate that as many as 4,000 of Boulder’s roughly 48,000 housing units may be vacant, according to a May 2024 memo. How the city would define and verify vacancy for taxing purposes remains unclear. A recent city analysis of water usage found between 280 and 490 single-family homes that could qualify as vacant.
So. Running out of money. But. Don’t tax the rich!! Gods forbid. They might move to Aspen! Or wherever. But we need more housing. Do any of these folks even hear themselves?
They should triple the empty home fee and impose it asap. Forget the initiative process. Boulder loves to be as welcoming as possible to the wealthy, but in these “constrained” times the city must shift its priorities.