Public Works Deficit
When it comes to Boulder’s infrastructure, the City has identified hundreds of millions of dollars of work that supposedly needs to be done. Before asking residents for hundreds of millions of dollars to fix that problem, Jamo thinks we should answer a pretty basic question: What exactly are we paying for?
“Before Boulder asks taxpayers to write a $400 million check, we should know exactly what we’re buying.”
—Jamo
The Problem:
Boulder estimates that it has roughly $400 million in unfunded capital maintenance. The City is now asking voters to authorize up to $400 million in new debt to renovate and replace public facilities.
But here’s the problem: Boulder itself has previously admitted that its list of unfunded needs was not final or comprehensive.
In 2025, the City estimated at least $380 million in unfunded and underfunded needs ranging from building replacements and transportation maintenance to parks, housing, public safety and climate projects. The same report explicitly stated that the list still needed to be “refined, reviewed, and vetted further.
A year later, that number is being presented as roughly $400 million.
Before we borrow $400 million, why don’t we audit the $400 million?
The Solution:
Conduct a complete, project-by-project audit of Boulder’s public works deficit.
Every outstanding project should be publicly listed with:
How much it costs
Why it needs to be done
How long it has been deferred
How urgent it actually is
Why it wasn’t funded previously
How much delaying it has increased the cost
Whether the project can be repaired instead of completely replaced
Then publish the results.
Boulder residents should be able to open one page and see every project contributing to the deficit, its price tag, its priority, and its status.
Have questions? Jamo has answers.