Tag Archives: open space

Boulder County has formally posted the language of ballot issues for the upcoming November election, including a preposterous open space sales tax extension that takes fiscal irresponsibility to all-time heights. The enviro-socialist commissioners have really outdone themselves this time around…

COUNTY ISSUE 1A : [Open Space Sales and Use Tax $50M Bond Authorization and 0.25% Tax Extension]

SHALL BOULDER COUNTY DEBT BE INCREASED BY UP TO $50,000,000, WITH A MAXIMUM REPAYMENT COST OF UP TO $140,000,000, WITH NO INCREASE IN ANY COUNTY TAX OR TAX RATE, BY THE ISSUANCE OF REVENUE BONDS FOR THE PURPOSE OF OPEN SPACE ACQUISITION AND IMPROVEMENTS… (full text)

So we’re talking repayment costs of up to $140 million for voters to extend a sales tax that expires 10 years from now? Are you kidding me? Heck, Boulder County is already a couple of hundred million dollars in hock for open space—they’ve got a staggering 95,000 acres in the program—and now the commissioners are asking voters to approve another $140 million for more open space? Simply outrageous. What’s more, it’s been revealed that BOCO is running 10 percent behind in overall sales tax revenue in 2009. They’re having trouble meeting current obligations, similar to many other local governments. Some fine economic climate for adding hundreds of millions of more debt for green mania, eh commissioners?

A second county ballot issue pushes more enviro overkill, this time with debt repayment costs of up to $180 million, although BOCO would only be responsible for a mere $85 million…

COUNTY ISSUE 1B : [ClimateSmart (CEOLID) $85M Bond Authorization]

SHALL BOULDER COUNTY DEBT (FOR CLEAN ENERGY OPTIONS LOCAL IMPROVEMENT DISTRICT AND SIMILARLY SITUATED LOCAL IMPROVEMENT DISTRICTS IN OTHER COLORADO COUNTIES) BE INCREASED BY UP TO $85,000,000, WITH A MAXIMUM REPAYMENT COST OF UP TO $180,000,000, WITH NO INCREASE IN ANY COUNTY TAX OR TAX RATE, PROVIDED THAT AT LEAST $45,000,000 OF SUCH DEBT AND AT LEAST $95,000,000 OF SUCH MAXIMUM REPAYMENT COST SHALL BE PAYABLE FROM SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS ON PROPERTIES IN SUCH OTHER COUNTIES AND OTHER AMOUNTS PAYABLE BY SUCH OTHER COUNTIES, RESULTING IN A NET OF $40,000,000 OF DEBT AND $85,000,000 OF MAXIMUM REPAYMENT COST PAYABLE FROM SPECIAL ASSESSMENTS IN BOULDER COUNTY, FOR THE PURPOSE OF FINANCING THE COSTS OF CONSTRUCTING, ACQUIRING AND INSTALLING SOLAR AND OTHER RENEWABLE ENERGY SYSTEMS OR ENERGY-EFFICIENCY IMPROVEMENTS FOR PROPERTY OWNERS THAT CONSENT TO BE INCLUDED IN SUCH DISTRICTS…(full text)

Just like on the national scene, the screaming message that must come from citizens to the Powers That Be is, “How are we going to pay for this?”