Жительница Боулдера призвала отменить новый облигационный заем из-за хронического недофинансирования ремонта

By Janet Heimer I am writing out of serious concern about both the City of Boulder and Boulder County budgets. I appreciate the recent reporting and Jan Burton’s commentary because they raise questions every Boulder taxpayer should be asking. As a longtime Boulder resident, I have always voted for tax increases when they clearly support the public good. However, this year I will not support the City of Boulder’s Ordinance 8758, the Recreation and Safety Bond. The request asks residents to pay for years of deferred responsibility without first demanding accountability. I agree that Boulder’s recreation centers need repairs and updates. I use the North Boulder Recreation Center five days a week, and I want all our recreation facilities maintained regularly. But that is exactly the problem: Maintenance funding should have been included in the budget all along. As Jan Burton noted, those funds were supposed to be budgeted beginning in 2021. Instead, not all the funds were put into maintenance, and building consolidation did not happen. In addition, the West Campus project at Alpine and Broadway was begun. Before asking voters to approve new debt, the City should explain where the West Campus money is coming from and why maintaining current buildings was not made the priority. As Aquiles La Grave pointed out, Council is asking residents and business owners to support what amounts to potentially a $650 million bailout for the City’s long-term mismanagement of its facilities. The City’s annual operating budget is approximately $515 million, yet voters are being asked to take on an obligation larger than that entire budget. From what I have read, Boulder was required to budget $10.5 million each year for building maintenance but allocated less than $1.6 million annually. Residents deserve to know where the rest of that money went and why the West Campus project moved forward despite this shortfall. City of Boulder staff should have completed the necessary maintenance on existing buildings before starting a major new project. Its priorities are not mine. The Boulder County Commissioners are considering another $13.2 million in budget cuts, on top of deep federal reductions that have already affected county programs. Earlier this year, the County cut major programs and eliminated 181 positions. Many of those cuts affected people working for low wages or living at or near the poverty level. As Amy Bounds reported on Aug. 6, additional reductions could affect the Extension Office, the Fairgrounds, Youth Corps, the Community Services Department, and more. At the same time, the County reportedly has approximately $200 million in reserves. If reserves are meant for hard times, this is the moment to consider using a portion of them before making deeper cuts to programs residents rely on. This is a critical moment for both City and County budgets. Council, Commissioners, and staff must make responsible, transparent decisions that put residents first and protect the services and facilities our community depends on. Janet Heimer lives in Boulder. To send a letter to the editor about this article, submit online or check out our guidelines for how to submit by email.