Boulder County Ballot Issue 1B (2025)
Yes / For the Measure. Local elected officials across Boulder County have looked for a permanent mechanism to support mental health services for several years.
Boulder County Ballot Issue 1B
MENTAL AND BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SALES AND USE TAX AND REVENUE CHANGE
SHALL BOULDER COUNTY TAXES BE INCREASED $15 MILLION ANNUALLY (FIRST FULL FISCAL YEAR DOLLAR INCREASE IN 2026) BY IMPOSING AN ADDITIONAL SALES AND USE TAX FOR THREE YEARS OF 0.15% FOR THE PURPOSE OF ADDRESSING UNMET NEEDS OF YOUTH, ADULTS, FAMILIES, UNHOUSED INDIVIDUALS, AND OLDER ADULTS IN BOULDER COUNTY WITH OR AT RISK OF MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS BY PROVIDING MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS SERVICES; SUICIDE PREVENTION AND INTERVENTION; MENTAL HEALTH AND SUBSTANCE USE PREVENTION, TREATMENT, AND RECOVERY; TREATMENT SERVICES FOR UNHOUSED INDIVIDUALS; AND ASSISTANCE FINDING APPROPRIATE SERVICES THROUGH COMMUNITY-BASED ORGANIZATIONS, GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES, AND OTHER OPTIONS; AND SHALL THE REVENUES AND THE EARNINGS ON THE INVESTMENT OF THE PROCEEDS OF SUCH TAX, REGARDLESS OF AMOUNT, CONSTITUTE A VOTER-APPROVED REVENUE CHANGE; ALL IN ACCORDANCE WITH BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS’ RESOLUTION NO. 2025-038?
Yes / For the Measure. Across our community — among youth, adults, families, and unhoused individuals — the demand for accessible, effective mental health services far outpaces current resources. The pandemic deepened existing gaps, and while temporary federal support helped fill them, that support is now disappearing. Boulder County Issue 1B proposes a three-year funding mechanism to continue and lightly expand existing services while building support for a more permanent plan.
Starting in 2023, Boulder County used American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds to strengthen local mental health and social resilience programs. Those funds were awarded to schools, community nonprofits, and outreach programs as awarded as community equitable access grants:
- El Centro AMISTAD
- Boulder Valley School District
- Emergency Family Assistance Association (EFAA)
- OUR Center
- OUT Boulder County
- Rise Against Suicide
- St. Vrain Valley Schools
- Sister Carmen Community Center
- TGTHR
Ballot Issue 1B offers one path forward by creating a dedicated funding stream for mental and behavioral health services.
Here is an excerpt from a quote from State Senator Judy Amabile (SD18), writing in light support of the measure:
It is clear that the county needs this revenue to sustain mental health programs already in place. But it is unclear how much money will be available for new programs. The resolution does not specifically address a critical gap in our system: residential and long-term treatment for people with severe mental illness and addiction. Without that infrastructure, our community will continue to see homelessness, overcrowded jails, overburdened emergency rooms, and needless suffering in our streets.
Additional Reporting, Commentary, and Sources
Boulder County Ballot Issue 1B: Mental/Behavioral Health Tax – Richard Valenty
Bob Yates: Boulder County needs a mental health tax – Boulder Reporting Lab