Summit County 2023 Budget Opinion Survey

Magellan Strategies is pleased to present the topline results of an online survey of 850 registered voters in Summit County, Colorado. The interviews were conducted from December 5th – 12th, 2023.

This survey of Summit County, Colorado registered voters revealed widespread dissatisfaction with the county’s direction and leadership. A strong majority of respondents felt things were on the wrong track rather than heading in the right direction, and disapproval of the Board of County Commissioners’ performance outweighed approval by a significant margin.

Fiscal concerns dominated residents’ perceptions of county government. A majority disagreed that Summit County government was fiscally responsible and spent taxpayer money wisely. Similarly, most respondents felt they did not receive good value in county services and programs relative to the taxes they paid.

When asked about budget priorities, residents identified roadway maintenance, workforce housing, and wildfire mitigation as their top concerns. Roadway-related services including maintenance, snow plowing, and bridge updates emerged as the highest priority, followed closely by affordable housing initiatives. Law enforcement, mental health services, public health, human services, and senior services ranked lower on the priority list.

Property tax concerns proved to be nearly universal among respondents. The overwhelming majority indicated that rising residential property taxes were either a big concern or somewhat of a concern to them and their families. When asked who should provide property tax relief, respondents most frequently pointed to Summit County Government itself, followed by the State Government.

After learning that Summit County receives approximately one-third of property taxes collected and that about 11 cents of every dollar funds county operations, a large majority of respondents believed the county had adequate financial resources to provide services and programs to residents.

Initial reactions to a proposed temporary mill levy reduction showed plurality support, with respondents favoring the measure over opposition. The reduction would save the average homeowner approximately $22 annually on a home valued at $1.1 million.

However, support shifted when respondents learned the mill levy reduction would decrease county tax collections by $1.05 million, primarily affecting Strong Future programs that fund behavioral health, early childhood, wildfire mitigation, recycling, and public facilities. After receiving this information, opposition to the temporary mill levy reduction exceeded support, representing a reversal from the initial response.