Boulder City Council this week directed staff to poll likely voters on several potential November 2026 ballot measures, including a vacant home tax and property tax increases to pay for city facilities.
Councilmembers moved ahead with polling for an annual tax on homes that sit vacant for most of the year. Several pushed for a higher rate than the $2,000 proposed by staff. Residents earlier this year launched and later dropped a citizen-driven measure that would have imposed a $7,000 annual tax, and some of its backers have pressed the council to pursue a higher figure.
The council also supported polling a measure to raise the Parks and Public Improvement Mill Levy from .9 mills to 2.252 mills, generating an additional $6.6 million per year. The measure would also expand the uses for the tax to pay for parks, recreation, public safety and general operations and maintenance. Under that proposal, the owner of a $1 million home would pay an additional $86 per year. A $1 million commercial property would pay $338 more.
Councilmembers also moved ahead with polling for three options for addressing the city’s $400 million backlog of unfunded building renovations and replacements, including recreation centers. One would ask voters to authorize up to $400 million in bonds, repaid through a temporary property tax. A second would allow the city to borrow up to $100 million without a tax increase, though repayment would require trade-offs with other city services. A third would amend the city charter to calculate the city’s debt limit against actual property values rather than assessed values, increasing borrowing capacity.
Dropped from consideration was a measure that would have consolidated nearly $40 million in open space tax revenue into a general-purpose public realm fund. City officials said the shift away from dedicated funds “will likely cause concern amongst the community and may not be a popular option.”
Polling is expected to wrap up by mid-June. A public hearing and final council vote on which measures to refer to the ballot are scheduled for August ahead of the November 2026 election.
Regarding the article on potential 2026 ballot measures:
While I have never worked at the City, I was in the Budget office at Boulder County for over 20 years, and worked closely with various boards of County Commissioners on the fiscal and TABOR-related impacts of many ballot issues. One golden rule was to never let one ballot issue compete with another. Voters are able to reasonably consider one tax increase, and if there’s two or more then they will choose one to potentially support. The issue is that different voters pick different tax increases at the ballot box. And while sales and/or use tax increases are more easily considered, property tax measures are much more difficult.
I hope that the City can agree on only one property tax measure, if they want a reasonable chance of success.
Moving on to the City’s debt limit: If a debt repayment is property tax funded, then it’s essential to have the debt limit tied to the Assessed Valuation. That’s the figure that property tax revenue, along with the mill levy, is calculated.
Curious if there is a tax on vacant commercial properties? Perhaps if there existed a meaningful penalty for vacant commercial-owners would be more motivated toward finding a way to fill the many spots in town.
There’s $10 million in the 2026 budget dedicated to the Civic Area Phase II redesign, and 5 million for 2027 (2025-2030 Capital Improvement Program). Does anyone think this is a necessary project? Maybe there could just be small pieces done like finally fix the bandshell seating and do something useful with the city’s buildings on the east bookend of the proposed project. The rest just seems like a field day for staff.
I am a lifelong lib’rul and supporter of liberal city council members, but a vacant house tax, considering what the mere right to own property in Boulder costs, is outrageously arrogant and presumptuous. I have occupied my house continuously since 1972, and can foresee to reason I would have it vacant, but should I for some reason need to have it so, it is none of the business of the twinks on Boulder CC. Hands off.