Thread by @djswearingen

#Boulder County is here to share more about the potential extension of its countywide transportation sales tax.

Commissioner Claire Levy says the county wants to get the city's feedback on the initiative and will field questions too.

Deputy Director of Community Planning & Permitting Kathleen Bracke is sharing first. "We're coming up on that critical timeframe," Bracke notes, adding that the current sales tax expires mid 2024.

Current sales tax, from 2001 to 2021:
-97 miles of paved road shoulders
-13 intersection safety improvements
-23 miles of new regional trails
-9 transit route support
-6 new pedestrian underpasses

"As a transportation planner, that feels like tomorrow to me," Bracke says, speaking of the 2024 expiration date.

The other piece? With SB260 and the federal infrastructure bill, the county has money to go after. "This is the first time in decades, truly decades, that there has been funding to go for at the state level, at the federal level," Bracke says.

What happens if we don't do this? Future funding will be limited to basic maintenance of existing county system.

Money will accomplish
-safety & resilience
-mobility programs
-transit service
-regional corridors
-regional trails & bikeways

Climate impacts are happening now. Important to improve resilience to pepare, Bracke notes.

prepare*

#Boulder County looked at different funding scenarios. The lowest would renew the current .1% sales tax. The highest level would be a 1% sales & use tax.
The county did polling. There was support for extending the current tax but the higher taxing amts were not favorable.

"That would be a continuation of the current funding level," Bracke says. Felt it was important to go forward at the current level based on these polls.

The county is looking to rework the way it allocates the tax revenue, since it's likely to receive the same amount.

Question time!
Councilmember Nicole Speer: Of project costs, what percentage will come from the federal/state sources vs the tax?

Bracke: Typically for federally funded project or DRCOG, 80% federal, 20% local. The county then might cost share that 20%, i.e. share w/ county and municipalities impacted.

Speer: Interested in engagement process and what community groups feel about project categories.

Bracke: It's been interesting. A lot of interest in the bikeway category of projects & the transit category. Lots of interest in transit options in east Boulder County.

Tim Swope: Boulder County is a very diverse county. There are approaches and thoughts in different communities.

Councilmember Mark Wallach asks how poorly the larger tax fared. Levy notes it wasn't hopeless but said the fact that the current tax expires soon plays a role.

"We were really trying to play it safe with this," Levy says.