Longmont council backs Boulder County child-care tax measure after deadlock
The 5-1 vote ended two failed votes earlier in August and endorsed a measure that would cost property owners an estimated $16 per $100,000 of residential value.
The Longmont City Council voted 5-1 on Sept. 8 to urge voters to support Boulder County’s Brighter Start child-care tax measure, resolving two failed 3-3 votes on the endorsement two weeks earlier.
The measure will appear on the Nov. 3 coordinated municipal-election ballot. If approved, it would impose a countywide levy of 2.579 mills and is projected to raise $30 million in its first full year for child-care affordability, provider capacity and the early-childhood workforce.
Council Member Kalkhofer brought Resolution 2026-52 back for reconsideration after the council deadlocked twice on Aug. 25. Kalkhofer and Council Member Popkin had supported delaying the endorsement while members reviewed the full set of ballot measures. A later motion to endorse the measure also failed 3-3.
On Sept. 8, Kalkhofer said the ballot information was available and moved for approval. Mayor Pro Tem McCoy seconded the motion. Council Member Crist voted no, and one council member recused themself. The Sept. 8 council meeting recording shows the vote and discussion.
Popkin said his earlier vote to delay the resolution was “purely procedural.” Supporters cited child-care costs, provider and worker shortages, and the number of children waiting for assistance. Crist said her opposition was to having the council tell voters how to vote, not to child care. The resolution urges support but does not impose the tax.
What the measure would fund
Boulder County’s resolution estimates the levy at about $16 per $100,000 of current actual residential value. Under the county’s example, a home with a $725,000 actual value would pay about $115 annually. The amount for an individual property would depend on its value.
The county projects about $30 million in annual revenue beginning in 2027. The tax would apply countywide, including incorporated Longmont, and would remain in place unless voters repealed or revised it.
The resolution identifies three broad uses: reducing families’ out-of-pocket child-care and preschool costs; expanding licensed infant and toddler capacity and provider-quality support; and improving child-care worker retention, compensation, credentialing and professional development. Funding could include family subsidies, provider capital and facility assistance, operations support, licensing help and workforce programs.
The measure would authorize that funding structure rather than guarantee a specific benefit to every family or provider. Final allocations and subsidy formulas would be determined after approval.