Government & Politics  November 7, 2018

ELECTION: Boulder County voters OK tax for jail, Longmont approves buildings bonds

The Boulder County jail is in line for some upgrades following voters’ decision Tuesday to approve Boulder County Ballot Issue 1A.

The measure extends an existing 0.185 percent sales tax for a period of five years starting in 2020. The tax is expected to raise about $50 million by the beginning of 2025.

Upgrades to the jail could include modernizing the building and replacing infrastructure, renovations, and reporting to provide a safer environment for inmates.

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Funding from the sales tax also will be used for the construction of an alternative sentencing facility to keep low-risk offenders out of more expensive jail beds.

Unofficial results from Boulder County show 99,110 voters, or about 75 percent, supported the tax.

Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle urged voters to support the measure in a guest opinion column published in the Boulder Daily Camera.

“It is an effort to ease jail crowding by building a large and modern alternative sentencing facility and provide programming on the jail campus,” he wrote of the measure. “This gives judges an alternative way to sentence people who do not need to be incarcerated in the jail.”

Money to fund municipal building improvements in Longmont has been approved by city voters.

Voters came out Tuesday in favor of Longmont Ballot Issue 3A, which will raise as much as $16.43 million through the sales of bonds for the purpose of financing the rehabilitation and improvement of city buildings, including the Civic Center, Library, Safety and Justice Center, and other facilities.

If the entire amount is raised, the city will be obligated to pay more than $26.6 million for the principal and interest associated with the bond sale.

About 63 percent of Longmont voters who voted on the measure supported it. There were 21,161 votes cast in favor of the Ballot Issue 3A.

The passage of the measure “represents the community’s commitment to taking care of our most heavily used and critical public facilities,” Longmont City Manager Harold Dominguez told the Longmont Times-Call.

Other notable Boulder County ballot measures decided Tuesday include:

— City of Boulder Ballot Issue 2D: Passed with about 65 percent of votes cast in support.

This measure allows the city to retain excess funds raised by a tax on sugary drinks. This money will be used for health programs rather than dispersed to beverage distributors.

— City of Longmont Ballot Issue 3B: Passed with about 73 percent of votes cast in support.

This measure authorizes the city to take on $15.5 million in debt to replace Fire Station No. 2 at 2300 Mountain View Ave. and Fire Station No. 6 at 501 S. Pratt Parkway.

The Boulder County jail is in line for some upgrades following voters’ decision Tuesday to approve Boulder County Ballot Issue 1A.

The measure extends an existing 0.185 percent sales tax for a period of five years starting in 2020. The tax is expected to raise about $50 million by the beginning of 2025.

Upgrades to the jail could include modernizing the building and replacing infrastructure, renovations, and reporting to provide a safer environment for inmates.

Funding from the sales tax also will be used for the construction of an alternative sentencing facility to keep…

Lucas High
A Maryland native, Lucas has worked at news agencies from Wyoming to South Carolina before putting roots down in Colorado.
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