URGENT ACTION ALERT - Boulder’s Dedicated Open Space Sales Tax is Under Threat!

Mar 26

The Issue

After Boulder’s voters made history by being the first U.S. city to approve a sales tax dedicated to Open Space, by a 57% majority, does Boulder really want to be the first U.S. city to take it away?

At their March 12 Study Session, Boulder City Council had a preliminary discussion of potential November 2026 tax ballot measures, including a measure that would combine revenues from the dedicated Open Space Sales Tax Fund with funds for Transportation and Parks and Recreation into one “Public Realm” sales tax fund. This restructuring would take away the dedication of Open Space Sales Tax funds and allow those funds to be diverted to other city services and amenities, such as roads. Council decided on March 12 to allow this measure to move forward for further consideration as a possible November 2026 ballot measure.

Your voice is needed now to convince Council that this measure should not move forward any further! Read on for how to contact Council, talking points, and links to more information.

How You Can Help

Contact City Council RIGHT AWAY and urge them to keep dedicated Open Space Sales Tax funds dedicated to Open Space, by removing this measure NOW from any further consideration.

You can express your opinion about the diversion of Open Space funds by:

Writing to the Boulder City Council at https://bouldercolorado.gov/contact-city-council-and-staff;
Speaking out during the open comment agenda item of city council meetings by signing up under the Open Comment section on this site: https://bouldercolorado.gov/services/participate-city-council-meetings. The next council hearing is on Thursday, April 2nd at 5:30 PM at the Penfield-Tate Building, 1777 Broadway, Boulder. NOTE: You must sign up ahead of time to speak at Council meetings. The online sign-up form is available from 8 a.m. on the Friday prior to the meeting and until 2 p.m. on the Wednesday before the meeting.If more than 20 people sign up to speak, only 20 people will be selected. The speaker list will be published here by 5:00 the day before the meeting.
Contacting individual Councilmembers - page down on this webpage to the individual photos and click on a Councilmember’s name to see their email address and phone number.

Talking Points for Your Comments

Below are some talking points to consider including in comments to Council. Your comments are likely to be more impactful if you use your own words to express why you believe that Open Space Sales Tax funds should remain dedicated to Open Space purposes, and why you value Boulder’s Open Space and Mountain Parks (OSMP) lands.

If you watched the documentary Citizen Ruth: Environmental Warrior at Boulder County Audubon’s February program and had a chance to see Ruth Wright in person there, you may want to reference that experience and the dedication of Ruth and others, who worked tirelessly over decades to create a priceless legacy for Boulder’s citizens and visitors to Open Space. Your voice can help prevent that legacy from being undone!

Boulder was the first U.S. City where residents voted to tax themselves to establish and protect Open Space.
Boulder’s voters approved the first dedicated Open Space Sales Tax in 1967 and have since approved additional sales taxes dedicated to Open Space, plus two City Charter amendments, including a Charter amendment in 1986 providing permanent protection for Open Space passed by 77% of voters. See this webpage for more about OSMP’s land preservation history.
As a result of Boulder voters approving dedicated Open Space Sales Taxes and Charter amendments, more than 46,640 acres of land have been preserved and protected, including a diverse mosaic of habitats critical for numerous species of mammals, birds, reptiles, amphibians, fish, insects including butterflies, and many more. See this webpage for more about the abundance of wildlife on OSMP lands.
In addition to ecosystems and habitat, OSMP lands contain unique geologic features, historical sites, agricultural land, and 155 miles of trails.
Our open spaces are enjoyed by families, hikers, mountain bikers, runners, dog walkers, rock climbers, cross country skiers, equestrians, bird watchers, and visitors of all ages who simply want to be surrounded by natural beauty.
If we want Open Space to continue to thrive, it is critical to keep the Open Space Sales Tax as a dedicated funding source, to provide for ongoing and increasing needs including trail maintenance, improvement and reroutes; trailhead upgrades and improvements; sensitive habitat restoration; wildfire mitigation; agricultural land restoration; ranger patrols; education and outreach programs including for youth; volunteer programs; and tribal engagement and consultation.
Combining dedicated Open Space Sales Tax funds with any other funds would contradict the clear intentions of Boulder voters over decades of multiple ballot measures, beginning in 1967.
Combining dedicated Open Space Sales Tax funds with any other funds would put OSMP lands at risk of degradation of wildlife habitat, visitor experience, and much more, because it would allow for these funds to be diverted for other City purposes.
Combining dedicated Open Space Sales Tax funds with any other funds should be removed NOW from the list of possible November 2026 ballot measures and should NOT receive any further consideration.

‍ Additional Information

Read the March 12 City Council study session packet here - page down to the March 12 study session and click on Packet to download the PDF. Agenda Item 3: Preliminary Discussion on 2026 Ballot Measures starts on p. 157 of the PDF.
- The “Public Realm” Sales Tax is #8 of the measures being considered and starts on p. 171 of the PDF.
- Notable quotes from the PDF:
  - 8. “Public Realm” Sales Tax (consolidation of existing dedicated funds) this option combines our existing dedicated sales tax funds into one sales tax fund, the “Public Realm Fund”, ...
  - "Specifically, this option combines the sales tax increments of the Open Space Fund, Transportation Fund, and the Parks and Recreation .25 Sales Tax Fund."
  - “By having this revenue flow into one combined fund, the city can leverage this funding source in different ways that are not currently possible due to the restrictive nature of the dedicated funds.”
  - Under Additional Considerations: "Shifting away from dedicated funds will likely cause concern amongst the community and may not be a popular option."
Watch the study session video here. The Preliminary Discussion on 2026 Ballot Measures starts at 1:09:50. The discussion specific to the “Public Realm” sales tax starts at 2:40.

Next Steps for City Council, from p. 174 of the packet:

On April 9, staff will present to City Council on the financial landscape of city facility funding needs, including options for recreation center funding and tradeoffs.
On May 14, staff, with our partners from the University of Colorado, will present to City Council the annual Financial Forecast, an update on the LTFS [Long Term Financial Strategy], and a specific item on 2026 Potential Ballot Measures, in preparation for a statistically valid voter polling survey planned for May-June 2026.
In late June, staff will return to City Council with the results of the polling survey, the discussion of which may inform 2026 tax ballot measures.
In July-August, City Council will consider decisions on any ordinances for the 2026 ballot.

‍Media coverage:

Boulder Reporting Lab March 12 article - mentions the Public Realm Sales Tax briefly: https://boulderreportinglab.org/2026/03/12/boulder-advances-vacant-home-tax-other-potential-2026-ballot-measures/

Boulder Daily Camera March 14 article - may be available only to subscribers, also mentions the Public Realm Sales Tax on briefly: https://www.dailycamera.com/2026/03/14/boulder-2026-ballot-measures-taxes

Thank you for your time and attention. Your voice is essential to help maintain the legacy and integrity of our irreplaceable Open Space and Mountain Parks Lands!

Bev Baker