BOULDER, Colo. — BOULDER COUNTY, Colo. — Boulder County voters will soon have the chance to decide if they want to pay an extra tax to support childcare in the county.
In a Thursday afternoon meeting, Boulder County Commissioners voted unanimously to add an early childcare and education measure, dubbed the Brighter Start Boulder County Initiative, to the ballot for the Nov. 3 election.
▶️ WATCH: Denver7's Alex Dowd breaks down what the ballot measure would do and gets community reaction
Supporters say the measure, if passed, would bring in an estimated $30 million to spend on subsidizing care costs, investing in teacher pay and expanding infant and toddler slot access.
In exchange, the measure would raise a property owner's existing tax rate by 2.579 mills, or about $16 for every $100,000 of an assessor's appraised home value, according to the resolution.
The median home sale price in Boulder County sits at $747,757, according to real estate firm Redfin. That property owner would be paying $118.87 annually — just under $10 a month.
The commissioners' hearing room was packed with supporters Thursday afternoon. Many held signs or wore pins from Brighter Start Boulder County, the coalition leading the effort to put this measure on the ballot.
Over two dozen speakers took to the podium to explain how the cost of childcare has impacted their lives.
"It's really important to us, so that way he can be in good childcare," said Boulder County mom Devin Edgley-Wells. "There's childcare funding for K-12, and there's not a lot of funding opportunities for infants and toddlers. There's also not a lot of room in childcare facilities, so the wait lists are really long."
Social worker and parent Brenton McNamara also described the struggle.
“Because of limited spots in infant classrooms we started getting on wait list a year before we’d need it,” he said, adding that his family started saving then, as well. “This isn’t sustainable.”
Lafayette city councilmember and mother Annmarie Jensen said she was on a waiting list for months when she first moved to the county with an infant.
“I understand that taxes are not popular, but we are at a crisis,” she said.
Brighter Start Boulder County estimates that county families pay over $23,000 a year in childcare costs per child. Affordability was a concern of many parents and providers who spoke in the meeting.
“We are the safety net for thousands of Boulder County families that are struggling to make ends meet,” said Suzanne Crawford of Sister Carmen Community Center. “Housing costs and childcare costs are two of the biggest expenses and biggest stressors for the families we serve. Some couples are telling us they’re making the decision to conceive based on whether they can get a childcare slot.”
Brighter Start Boulder County coalition says the county has a shortage of approximately 2,599 licensed slots for children under five whose parents are working. They estimate that costs Colorado $2.2 billion in lost economic potential.
Crawford says those slots could help parents who might have to choose between being a parent and keeping their job.
"This issue is something that brings out a lot of emotion for people that have experienced how hard it is to find childcare, for people who are looking now, for people who want to plan to have a family in the future and don't know if they can will be able to afford to do so," she said.
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Not everyone is on board in Boulder County.
“Everything that everyone is said is absolutely true, but it’s a matter of who pays,” said Boulder County resident Jane Miller. She then addressed the commissioners, saying, “you need to balance your budget better.”
“I don’t believe that the plan as it currently stands is financially viable,” said another Boulder County resident and parent Yi-Jie Wang.
For those who don’t have children, Brighter Start Boulder County says childcare impacts everyone, allowing more parents to work and improving the development of the children who would have access to care.
Crawford said she'd be voting for the measure in November.
"I don't have kids, but I'm willing to support measures like this because children are our future, and every child deserves quality childcare and quality education," she said. "We, as a community, are stronger for it when kids are able to get quality education and quality childcare."
If passed in November, a Bright Start Boulder County representative says the tax increase would go into effect Jan. 1, 2027. It would be in effect in perpetuity.
