January 24, 2024 update: At its January 23 meeting, the Estes Park Town Board voted to place Ballot Issue 1A on the April 2 Municipal Election ballot. Voters will be asked whether or not the current 1% sales tax should be renewed for an additional 10 years. Election information will be provided at estes.org/elections as it becomes available.
Previously published background on the proposed sales tax is available below.
Background:
Should Estes Park's 1% sales tax be renewed?
Nearly ten years ago, voters approved a 1% sales tax to fund streets, trails, the construction of a community center, and emergency communications. This sales tax is set to expire at the end of June 2024. A lot of important work is now completed, but you have told us there's more that needs to be done.
View a recording of the January 17 and August 31 presentation at www.estes.org/videos
During the 2023 strategic planning process, the Town Board asked staff to reevaluate community needs as we approach the end of the 1A sales tax. We used your feedback from the biennial community survey, the Comprehensive Plan, and the 2019 Stormwater Management Plan process to develop a preliminary renewal package for further consideration. We now want to ask for your thoughts: Should the 1% sales tax be renewed and, if so, what should it fund?
Frequently Asked Questions - Renewal of the 1% sales tax
The preliminary proposed renewal package would divide the revenue among several priority projects the community has said it wants the Town to pursue.
- 46% Street Maintenance
- 28% Stormwater Infrastructure
- 12.5% Trail Expansion and Maintenance
- 9% Wildfire Mitigation
- 4.5% Powerline Wildfire Mitigation
These proposed allocations consider the funds needed to improve and maintain our streets and trails, reduce the Town’s flooding risk through projects outlined in the Stormwater Management Plan, and mitigate wildland fire risk in partnership with the Estes Valley Fire Protection District.
Why flood mitigation and stormwater management?
Stormwater management is a significant need in Estes Park. Addressing stormwater issues goes well beyond preparing for large events like the 2013 Flood. It also includes addressing neighborhood-level drainage issues that occur every time we receive a heavy rain. In the 2019 Stormwater Survey, 70% of the over 900 respondents agreed that the Town and County should act to address flooding risk. Stormwater investments are also recommended in the community-driven Comprehensive Plan.
Why would we fund this work with a sales tax? In the same Stormwater Survey, a majority (71%) of respondents told us sales tax should be used to fund 40 to 100% of the stormwater management program. The first 10 years of work would be funded by the proposed allocation (28% of the revenue), with the support of grants (25%) and a continuing General Fund contribution (28%). After 10 years, the community would have an opportunity to reflect on projects completed and determine whether to continue with further implementation of the Master Plan, or to simply operate and maintain the system as it is. Under this funding scenario, the operations and maintenance of the stormwater system would be funded by the General Fund and capital costs would be covered by the sales tax allocation and grants.
Read the full article for more background.
What do you think – did we get it right? Email us at 1percentrenewal@estes.org with your thoughts.
Machalek column: Should Estes Park's 1% sales tax be renewed?
¿Debería renovarse el impuesto sobre las ventas del 1% en Estes Park? Parte 1
¿Debería renovarse el impuesto sobre las ventas del 1% en Estes Park? Parte 2
