Longmont Votes on $19.5M Public Safety Tax
Ballot Issue 3A would raise sales and property taxes to fund police and fire services in the city.
Updated on Nov. 2, 2026 in City Hall
Live Poll
Should Longmont raise sales and property taxes to fund more police and firefighters?
Longmont voters will decide Ballot Issue 3A, a $19.5 million annual public safety tax increase, on Tuesday, November 3, 2026. The measure would raise the city sales and use tax by 0.33 percentage points and impose a property tax levy of up to 2.44 mills.
Why it matters
The city says growing demand for emergency services has placed additional pressure on its police and fire operations. Residents would pay more in sales and property taxes if the measure passes.
Ballot Issue 3A would cost consumers about 33 cents per $100 in taxable purchases and roughly $75 annually on a $500,000 home. The $19.5 million figure is a city projection, and actual revenue depends on voter approval.
The players
City of Longmont
The municipal government of Longmont, Colorado, is proposing Ballot Issue 3A and would administer the new public safety revenue if voters approve it.
The details
If approved, the sales tax increase would begin January 1, 2027, and the property tax increase would begin with the 2027 tax collection year. Revenue would fund police and fire personnel, equipment, vehicles and facilities, and the city says it would let it keep and spend the money without certain limits under Colorado's Taxpayer's Bill of Rights.
Timeline
2009: Longmont population baseline of 86,651 recorded
2025: Population reaches 104,178
Tuesday, November 3, 2026: Voters decide Ballot Issue 3A
January 1, 2027: Sales tax increase would begin if approved
2027 tax collection year: Property tax increase would begin if approved
Roadmap
Ballot Issue 3A asks Longmont voters to authorize revenue retention and spending outside the limits of Colorado's Taxpayer's Bill of Rights. The proposal ties new tax revenue to a population that grew about 20.2% between 2009 and 2025 and to emergency call volumes that rose sharply over the same period.
A sales tax increase of 0.33 percentage points would add about 33 cents per $100 on taxable purchases in Longmont. A property tax levy of up to 2.44 mills would add roughly $75 a year on a $500,000 home beginning with the 2027 tax collection year.
The takeaway
Longmont residents deciding on Ballot Issue 3A should weigh the projected $19.5 million in public safety funding against the added sales and property tax costs. Checking how the revenue would be spent can help clarify the trade-off before November 3.
What happens next
Voters will decide Ballot Issue 3A on Tuesday, November 3, 2026; if approved, the sales tax increase begins January 1, 2027.
Further reading
For related local government coverage, see City Hall in Longmont politics.
Source note: This article includes information reported by LongmontLeader.
Live Poll
Should Longmont raise sales and property taxes to fund more police and firefighters?
