Larimer County voters must decide during this election season whether to raise the sales tax to pay for improvements in bicycle lanes, bridges, pedestrian crossings, roads, and mass transit access throughout the sprawling jurisdiction. (Estes Valley Voice 2024 Voter Guide).
If approved, Ballot Issue 1A would result in a sales and use tax increase of 0.15 percentage points. That is equivalent to an additional 15 cents on every $100 expended.
According to the language of the referendum, sales tax revenues in the county would “be increased $17,200,000 annually (estimated first fiscal year dollar increase in 2025), and by whatever additional amount as may be raised annually thereafter, for a period of 15 years.”
The funds would be used to make a dent in a long list of unfunded transportation needs.
They would include some that directly impact Estes Park. Increased transportation funding may promote progress on improvements to the U.S. 34/U.S. 36 intersection at Mall Road and U.S. 36 intersection with Mary’s Lake Road/High Drive, a multimodal renovation along U.S. 36/Moraine Avenue between Davis Street and Mary’s Lake Road, and a multipurpose trail along U.S. 34 between Mall Road and the entrance to Rocky Mountain National Park.
Those projects are discussed in Larimer County’s 2017 Transportation Master Plan and the county’s 2019 Funding Strategies Technical Report.
The county expects, according to that 2017 transportation plan, to invest about $1 billion, in 2017 dollars, in related infrastructure by 2040. But only about $529 million, in 2017 dollars, is available. On an annual basis the county needs to spend, if it follows its plan, about $25.7 million per year, but it only takes in about $12.175 million.
Altogether, the county faces a $280 million funding gap by 2040. The county expects to complete an updated assessment of transportation imperatives this year. It is possible that new study may show a larger fiscal chasm.
Larimer County spends significantly less per mile than peer Front Range counties – $20,000 vs. an average of $38,000 in those other counties – and generally has more infrastructure per capita. The county includes more than 800 paved centerline miles, about 300 unpaved centerline miles, and at least 200 bridges. The road mileage includes 767 miles of county roads and 101 more miles in subdivisions located in unincorporated areas.
The sales and use tax, as modified, would exclude groceries, diapers, and menstrual period and incontinence products. Some machinery and machine tools, as well as gas and electricity, farm equipment, food sold via vending machines, some motor vehicles, and certain aspects of renewable energy systems would also be exempt from the tax.
At present, the sales tax rate in Estes Park is 8.70%. That includes 0.80% Larimer County sales tax now in effect. If Ballot Issue 1A is approved, that total local sales tax will rise to 8.85%.
The increase provided for by the ballot measure, if agreed to by the electorate, would expire in 15 years.
This article is one of several the Estes Valley Voice has written to provide voters with information about issues on their 2024 ballots. For more information about the candidates and issues on your ballot, please see the Estes Valley Voice 2024 Voter Guide. The Estes Valley Voice welcomes Letters to the Editor (usually 400 words or less) and longer, opinion editorials (typically 700-800 words). Please send letters and opinion pieces to news@estesvalleyvoice.com.
I will not purchase anything in Larimer county again. No one seems to know what they want in this county. The citizens constantly vote to raise taxes on themselves but are never content. Mostly Larimer county is full of chronic malcontents that don’t seem to recognize that they live in one of the best counties in the world but are governed by assholes who they keep reelecting and for some reason listen to.