Broomfield 2023 Police and Library Sales Tax Ballot Measure Survey

Magellan Strategies is pleased to present the topline results of an online survey of 1,142 registered voters in the City and County of Broomfield, Colorado. The interviews were conducted from May 8th to 22nd, 2023.

The City and County of Broomfield conducted a survey to gauge support for a proposed sales and use tax ballot measure. Residents generally approved of Broomfield’s programs and services, with 74 percent approving of the city and county’s overall programs and services, 74 percent approving of the Police Department, and 67 percent approving of the Library. However, opinion was divided on fiscal responsibility, with 45 percent agreeing and 43 percent disagreeing that Broomfield spent taxpayer money wisely. A majority of respondents believed crime had increased in recent years, with 69 percent perceiving an increase.

Initial support for the proposed ballot measure was low. When first presented with the ballot language for a 0.75 percent sales and use tax increase to fund construction and improvements for city and county facilities, only 31 percent said they would vote yes and approve it, while 63 percent said they would vote no and reject it. General questions about tax increases showed similarly low support, with only 40 percent supporting a tax increase for the library and 49 percent supporting one for the police department.

After respondents received detailed information about the reasons for the ballot measure, support increased modestly but remained underwater. The informed ballot test showed 35 percent would vote yes and 58 percent would vote no, representing a four-point increase in yes votes and a five-point decrease in no votes from the uninformed ballot test. Among the undecided voters who were asked which way they leaned, 17 percent leaned toward voting yes while 25 percent leaned toward voting no.

Information about Broomfield’s population growth resonated somewhat with voters. When told that Broomfield’s population had doubled to just under 80,000 residents since 2001 and was the fastest-growing county in Colorado, 42 percent said they were more likely to vote yes while 47 percent said they were more likely to vote no. The survey explained that city and county facilities had not kept up with this growth, particularly the Police Department and Library.

Various pieces of information about police and library needs produced mixed responses. The most persuasive arguments related to police staffing needs, with 47 to 48 percent of respondents saying they were more likely to vote yes after learning about the department’s growth from 80 to 131 officers while serving a doubled population in the same facility, and after hearing about future staffing needs and space constraints for evidence storage. Information about library expansion plans and comparisons to other communities generally resulted in 39 to 42 percent saying they were more likely to vote yes, while 46 to 49 percent said they were more likely to vote no.

The proposed improvements included building a new police facility and eventually using the current facility to expand the courts building. For the library, plans included remodeling and expanding the current library and auditorium to 50-60,000 square feet with expanded space for children’s programming, community gathering spaces, and arts facilities. The measure also proposed building a new library branch in north Broomfield that would include meeting space, CSU Extension programs, and a 100-seat theater.

Overall, the survey results suggested that the ballot measure faced a challenging path to passage. Despite broadly positive views of city services and widespread acknowledgment that facilities had not kept pace with Broomfield’s rapid growth, a majority of respondents remained opposed to the tax increase even after being presented with detailed supporting information. The gap between approval of city services and willingness to approve new taxation indicated that fiscal concerns and skepticism about spending outweighed the case for expanded facilities for most voters surveyed.