Issue 2J: Vacancy Excise Tax

What It Would Do

Issue 2J would create a new excise tax on residential properties that sit vacant — occupied 183 days or fewer per year — to discourage speculative, empty second-home holdings and bring more homes back into use as actual housing for Boulder residents. City Council referred it to the ballot on a 7–1 vote in August 2026.

Fiscal Impact

The tax would start at $4,000 a year per qualifying vacant unit, rising annually with inflation (the Denver-Aurora-Lakewood Consumer Price Index) up to a cap of $7,000 a year. Collection would begin in 2028, with the city estimating about $6 million a year in revenue to support general city services like police and fire protection, parks and recreation, and transportation and maintenance.

Why We're Voting Yes

Boulder Progressives supports Issue 2J because it would encourage owners of long-vacant homes to bring them back into use as actual housing for Boulder residents, while generating meaningful new revenue to support city services.

Sources: City of Boulder official 2026 ballot measures page (bouldercolorado.gov), Boulder Reporting Lab.