County Commissioner Chair Ben Pearlman makes his plea for continuing/renewing the Open Space tax that doesn’t even expire until 2019.
He seems fairly worried. If it’s true that 80 to 85% of us approve of the County’s open space program one would think that passing a new tax, even 7 years ahead of time would be a slam dunk.
As usual, we get “the job is almost done” argument. Now there’s a broken record if I’ve ever heard one. The job of the Boulder County Open space program will never be done and this tax will never go away. Even if it’s voted down this year, it will never go away.
The plea….
If you’re part of the overwhelming majority of county voters who support the open space program, you should vote for County Issue 1A. It doesn’t increase taxes. It extends the existing 0.25 percent sales tax (a nickel on a $20 dollar purchase) for 15 additional years. This measure will allow the county to issue up to 50 million dollars in bonds so we can preserve these remaining important properties while they are available and undeveloped.
If the past is any indication, about two-thirds of county voters won’t vote in this year’s election. If you haven’t voted yet, and if open space is important to you, make sure you mark your ballot — and deliver it to election officials — by seven o’clock this evening.
Only now does it become clearer why the tax extension is on this years ballot. It’s an off year election. What better time to try and get a special interest tax through. With low voter turn out, if you can mobilize your side to vote it’s much easier to pass. Oh, not to mention they have borrowed all the money they could from the previous tax. In other words, their open space gun has no bullets. I say keep it that way for a few years.
Open space taxes have not been passing by a great margin recently. Here’s hoping this one fails. Don’t worry, it will come back again and I feel sure it will pass way before 2019. For once Boulder County citizens, give the almighty powerful and arrogant Boulder County Commissioners a warning shot across the bow. Vote NO on County Ballot issue 1A. Show the Boulder County Commissioners it isn’t business as usual anymore.
While you’re at it, vote against the rest of the taxes and changing the term limits for the DA.
I hadn’t planned to make any electioneering posts apart from my “Vote” post, but Pearlman’s opinion piece in the Camera changed my mind.
