Budget

Boulder residents want to know their money is handled well, and Boulder has a strong foundation to build on. The heart of a good budget is financial strength, having a strong balance sheet and strategic approach to take care of everyone, now and in the future, knowing we can absorb a bad year without breaking promises to residents. That matters more than ever, with sales tax revenue flattening, federal support pulling back, climate-related costs rising, and more than $500 million in deferred maintenance across 75 public buildings, including rec centers, fire stations, and the police station.

What I’m Working On

Serving on council’s Financial Strategy Committee, I’ve focused on four ways to make Boulder financially strong.

Build a bigger cushion. Lean less on unstable sales tax, increase the share of the budget that’s flexible, and keep healthy reserves. Mark Wallach and I brought the deferred maintenance backlog into public view, and the city’s 2021 facilities plan now sets money aside every year so new buildings stay in good shape. I support gradually rebalancing revenue away from heavy sales tax reliance toward a greater share of property tax, revenue-neutral for cost-sensitive households, with relief for seniors and lower-income homeowners.

Make city services work for people. We budget money to deliver services like clean water, safe streets, and straightforward permitting. I’ve championed outcome-based budgeting, which measures spending by results, and helped create a streamlined review track that cut approvals for simple projects from about seven months to weeks. I’ve also pushed for the city’s new customer experience hub, included in the proposed 2027 budget, so residents can get help in one place.

Grow local partners for big community projects. Some jobs, like hardening thousands of homes against wildfire, are too big for city crews and too expensive for the city to fund alone. The city stretches public dollars furthest by setting standards and building networks of trusted local providers, the approach that helped weatherization and rooftop solar take off.

Hold big decisions to high standards. For new buildings, the city now weighs full lifetime costs up front, and I want that same discipline applied to every long-term commitment. That’s why I voted against a downtown development authority that wasn’t ready, and voted to keep the airport open but against a forever FAA commitment without knowing the long-term costs. I supported 2K, which gives voters the option to modernize 15 failing public buildings at the lowest cost over time, with each project coming back to a future council for approval.

Read more in my newsletter essays, How to Make Boulder Financially Strong and 3 Ways to Budget Better.

What’s Next

I’m working to:

☐ Build a public dashboard of long-term financial health indicators, and show in memo packets how each big decision moves Boulder toward or away from financial strength

☐ Move to a two-year, policy-first budget that gives council time up front to review department plans and tradeoffs

☐ Create a council-level committee to plan deferred maintenance and total cost of ownership across every city asset, including infrastructure and open space trails, building on an idea from Councilmember Tina Marquis

☐ Set targets for how long city services take, and hold the customer experience hub accountable for cutting delays

☐ Gradually rebalance revenue toward a greater share of property tax, with guardrails for seniors and lower-income homeowners

☐ Push to repeal TABOR so Colorado communities can invest in what residents need

☐ Make budget documents readable for residents, and strengthen evaluation and auditing so we can check our work

What We Stand to Gain

Cut the costs of living. Fixing problems before they grow costs residents less over time, and a revenue mix with guardrails protects cost-sensitive households.

Adapting to a changing world. A budget that sees major costs years ahead, including rising climate-related costs, lets Boulder plan ahead and absorb shocks.

Creating a trustworthy, effective government. Clear standards, public indicators, and a steady process give residents confidence their money is going to the right things, even as councils change.

Climate-aligned decisions. Weighing sustainability, equity, and resilience in every council memo means the true long-term cost of a decision is visible before Boulder commits.