A new city-commissioned survey suggests most City of Boulder voters would not support a property tax increase to pay for parks and other infrastructure projects. The results come as city officials and councilmembers contemplate a potential ballot measure this fall to increase city revenue amid a looming budget shortfall and a backlog of unfunded infrastructure projects.
The poll, conducted by California-based Probolsky Research, found just 38% of likely voters said they would support the proposed “public realm tax.” Support rose slightly when participants were given additional information, but still fell short of the majority needed to pass.
The tax would generate an estimated $7 million annually to fund projects in parks, civic buildings and public spaces, including sidewalks, bike lanes, multi-use paths and street repairs.
The property tax proposal is part of a broader effort to address a $380 million backlog in capital maintenance and to reduce the city’s reliance on sales taxes, which are more vulnerable to economic downturns and hit lower-income residents hardest.
The survey results come as the city faces a budget shortfall, partially due to stagnating sales tax collections, a major source of city revenue. At the same time, the polling showed respondents were skeptical about how the city spends money. Nearly half of likely voters said the city does not spend tax dollars wisely.
Additionally, voter satisfaction with the city’s performance appears to be declining. In 2023, about 62% of voters approved of the city’s service delivery. That number dropped to about 53% in the June 2025 poll.
Of the respondents who said they opposed the public realm tax, top concerns were the city’s current tax burden and “high property taxes.” However, support increased when voters were told the proposed tax would cost the owner of a $1 million home about $80 a year, according to the survey.
The Boulder City Council is also considering referring to the ballot an extension of the existing 0.30% Community, Culture, Resilience & Safety (CCRS) sales and use tax, which pays for capital construction, renovation and maintenance projects. That proposal received majority support in the poll, both with and without a sunset provision that would set an expiration date.
The public realm tax is one part of the city’s emerging long-term fiscal strategy that includes “taking care of what we have.” The proposal also comes as the city seeks to move away from dedicated taxes, or those tied to specific purposes. About 68% of Boulder’s revenue is dedicated to specific programs or departments, making it harder to respond to urgent needs, according to city officials.
The Boulder City Council is scheduled to discuss the survey results on June 26. The council plans to decide in August which tax measures to place on the 2025 ballot. No citizen-led initiatives will appear on the ballot this year.
The statistically valid survey included about 400 participants, contacted by landline, cellphone and email between June 5 and June 11. Responses were collected in both English and Spanish.
Voters ranked services for homeless people and affordable housing as top priorities for increased funding in both the 2023 and 2025 surveys.
I am wondering where the $10 million in the city budget that formerly funded the library went, since the library now gets its revenue from a dedicated property tax.