Boulder Council moves to draft a $400M facilities bond and a vacancy tax after poll; staff will refine language and outreach

Boulder — City staff will draft two possible revenue measures for further review after Boulder City Council members on June 25, 2026 signaled support for preparing a $400 million bond focused on recreation centers and public‑safety facilities and separately asked staff to develop a vacancy/second‑home excise tax for later consideration.

City Chief Financial Officer Christa Morrison introduced the long‑term financial strategy update and said staff sought council direction after recent polling and the city’s Fund Our Future community engagement. Pollster Adam Pbolski presented a likely‑voter survey that tested multiple formats and messages. Polling results showed that: general, unspecific bond language tested weakly; bond proposals that tied funds to specific facilities (fire stations, recreation centers, civic buildings) tested substantially better; and a vacancy/second‑home excise tax polled strongly in favor when respondents understood it would target unoccupied second properties rather than typical homeowner residences.

Pbolski advised council that voters are most responsive when measures clearly list projects or uses for funds. In the poll, a $200 million generic bond failed to secure majority support, while a $400 million scenario tied to prioritized projects drew more support (though still short of an unambiguous majority across the full likely‑voter sample). Messages that linked funding to fire stations, wildfire response and continuing essential services produced the strongest positive movement. The vacancy/second‑home excise tested especially well: respondents were far more likely to support a tax that applied only to unoccupied second or third homes and short‑term rentals beyond defined occupancy thresholds.

After hearing the results, council members proceeded with non‑binding show‑of‑hands direction to staff. By council consensus staff was asked to develop draft ballot language and outreach materials for a $400 million recreation/public‑safety bond and to prepare a vacancy/second‑home excise tax for council review. Council members asked staff to prioritize clear, project‑level allocations, a robust public education campaign, and a spending‑discipline narrative that documents existing cost containment efforts.

Council members emphasized the need to present voters with concrete choices and to be transparent about tradeoffs. Council member Nicole said the ballot process would allow residents to decide whether they want to invest in maintaining current services rather than seeing facilities close or services reduced. Several members cautioned that ballot success is not guaranteed and that staff should avoid placing multiple competing revenue proposals on the same ballot without careful sequencing.

Staff noted next steps: refine measure options, return to council for public hearing and ordinance drafting, and continue engagement with the community to explain needs and tradeoffs. The long‑term financial plan will integrate polling and engagement findings and return to the council in November 2026 with sequenced policy and revenue proposals.

Quotes from the meeting transcript include pollster Adam Pbolski’s summary that the public is more likely to back a measure when it "funds things like recreation centers and fire stations" and Council comments emphasizing the need for a "spending discipline story" that explains what the city has already done to control costs.

Ending: Staff will draft measure language and outreach plans over the summer and return to the council with public‑hearing language and the long‑term financial plan sequence in the fall; councilors will review refined text and decide whether to place measures before voters in November 2026.