Strong Towns Analysis: Larimer County Ballot Issue 1A (Transportation Sales Tax)

What the Proposal Is

This November, Larimer County voters will decide on a 0.15% sales and use tax on Ballot Issue 1A. That’s an extra 15 cents for every $100 spent. The tax would last 15 years and raise about $15 million each year.

County officials argue that new funding is needed to cover a $650 million transportation gap over the next 25 years. They say rising costs, aging roads, and steady traffic growth have outpaced the County’s revenue.

If passed, the money would fund:

Road safety improvements for drivers, pedestrians, and cyclists
Better reliability for emergency and evacuation routes
Projects to reduce congestion and delays
Matching funds to bring in state and federal grants
Investments now to avoid higher repair costs later

The tax exempts groceries, gasoline, diapers, and prescription medications. Leaders say this reduces the burden on families and avoids taxing fuel twice. Still, a sales tax means everyone pays, whether or not they drive on county roads. That raises a key question: Will this money make Larimer County stronger, or keep us on the same costly path?

Where the Money Would Go

The county’s “Larimer On The Move” plan lists more than 500 possible projects. Many involve road construction. Some add bike and pedestrian features, but the focus remains on cars.

Widening Rural Roads

Most projects would widen rural roads. That often means turning two-lane roads into three or four lanes, with paved shoulders. Wider shoulders can give cyclists space and reduce some crash risks. Wider lanes and roads tend to make drivers feel comfortable going faster, which often leads to more dangerous crashes. We worry that calling these projects “safety improvements” hides the real goal: moving more cars.

Paving Gravel Roads

Another large set of projects would pave gravel roads. Paving cuts down on dust and reduces grading costs. But it also creates higher long-term maintenance costs and often sparks more development. Paved roads attract traffic and encourage sprawl, which increases future liabilities. Strong Towns thinking urges caution: only pave when the road already serves enough people to justify the cost.

Intersection Fixes

The project list also includes signals, roundabouts, turn lanes, and visibility upgrades. These targeted fixes often improve safety at a much lower cost than full road expansions. The county’s Safety Action Plan even suggests simple changes like new crosswalks, pedestrian beacons, and speed management. These are low-cost, high-value projects. The worry is that they will be overlooked if most money flows to larger road projects.

Bike, Pedestrian, and Transit Features

Some projects add side paths or crossings, but most bike and pedestrian changes appear as wider shoulders on fast-moving roads. Few dedicated bike paths or sidewalks are proposed. Transit receives even less attention. While the plan mentions future bus service, most projects on the list are about roads.

Does It Match Strong Towns Principles?

Financial Productivity

Strong Towns asks: will new infrastructure pay for itself? Larimer County already faces a $650 million shortfall. Adding more lanes and paved roads creates more long-term costs. Every new mile of asphalt will eventually need repair. Unless the surrounding development produces enough tax base, the county risks making the problem worse.

A better strategy would be to fix existing roads first. Invest where the return is highest: bridges near town centers, safety upgrades near schools, or roads serving the most residents.

Congestion and Demand

The County promotes this tax as a way to cut congestion. But history shows that widening roads rarely works. Extra lanes attract more drivers – a pattern called induced demand. Before long, the widened road is congested again.

Instead of chasing congestion relief, the county could manage demand. That means supporting transit, biking, and walking. It also means linking land use with transportation, so people don’t need to drive long distances for daily needs.

Incremental Improvements

Strong Towns favors small, testable steps. Rather than betting big on long-range traffic projections, try cheaper fixes first: improve signals, add a turn lane, or paint a crosswalk. If traffic or safety improves, build on that success.

The County’s plan does include some creative small-scale ideas, like volunteer driver programs for seniors. But these programs risk being overshadowed by road expansion projects.

The Trade-offs

Without new funding, the County may face rougher roads, delayed safety fixes, and less money to match state or federal grants. With the tax, the County would gain $15 million each year. The big question is how the money will be spent.

A sales tax spreads the cost across everyone. Shoppers in Fort Collins or Loveland will help fund projects far from town. That makes accountability critical. Residents should demand that funds go first to maintenance and true safety fixes, not just wider roads in the name of congestion relief.

A Stronger Path Forward

The need for transportation funding is real. The danger lies in using new money to repeat past mistakes. To build a stronger county, tax revenue should focus on:

Fixing existing infrastructure first
Improving safety for all users
Making small, targeted congestion fixes
Supporting biking, walking, and transit
Tying new infrastructure to productive land use

This sales tax is a tool. Used wisely, it could create a safer and more resilient transportation system. Used poorly, it could deepen the county’s infrastructure debt. The choice will depend not just on the vote, but on how residents and leaders hold the County accountable after the vote.

Sources:

Strong Towns Fort Collins