Longmont council directs staff to develop public-safety tax ballot options

Longmont City Council voted 7-0 June 23 to direct staff to develop final options for a public-safety tax ballot measure, with a proposal due before an August referral deadline and a potential November 2026 vote.

The city must notify Boulder County of its intent by July 24, the council record says. The action began work on ballot-referral choices; it did not approve a tax increase or final ballot language.

Options under discussion

Staff presented four paths: a sales-tax increase, a property-tax increase, a combination of the two, or moving additional public-safety positions into the city’s General Fund. Illustrative scenarios included a 0.48 percentage-point sales-tax increase and an 8.13-mill property-tax levy.

The Times-Call reported city estimates that the sales-tax option would add about $4.80 to a $1,000 taxable purchase and the property-tax scenario about $240 annually for a $500,000 home.

The council record does not give annual revenue estimates for the scenarios. Staff still must recommend the final mechanism or combination, revenue target and ballot language. The record identifies an intended November timeline but not a specific election date.

Staffing and facilities needs

Staff identified an ongoing $20.8 million public-safety funding gap, 86 needed positions and about $75.7 million in one-time capital and facility needs, including about $69 million for facility improvements.

The 86-position estimate is down from 95 after nine firefighter positions were identified for funding through redirected overtime savings. The staffing need includes police, fire and support positions.

The June 23 direction did not adopt a hiring schedule, a capital-work plan or a division between ongoing staffing costs and one-time projects. Until council considers staff’s proposal, residents do not have a final tax rate, revenue target or ballot question to evaluate.