Alamosa council authorizes $10,000 for public education on street tax renewal, appoints citizen street advisory committee

Alamosa City Council voted unanimously on Jan. 21 to authorize up to $10,000 for public outreach ahead of a proposed renewal of the city’s dedicated half‑cent street sales tax and to appoint members to a reconstituted Citizen Street Advisory Committee.

City staff told council the original half‑cent tax approved by voters in 2019 prioritized 16 streets for full reconstruction, funded maintenance and sidewalks, and will sunset in 2029. Staff said the extension under consideration would add 10 years and, if approved by voters, would move the expiration date to Jan. 1, 2040. According to staff, the 2019 tax will have brought in more than $19,000,000 by the time it sunsets.

Staff described the $10,000 authorization as covering both hard costs and the recorded value of staff time to prepare materials. Estimated hard costs cited by staff included roughly $600 for Facebook advertising, $1,300 for radio, $1,300 for the Valley Courier, $1,500 for short informational videos, postcards (printing and mailing) and about $540 for yard signs; staff said roughly half of the $10,000 is expected to be tracked as in‑kind staff time. Council asked for and received a more detailed line‑item estimate during the discussion.

Council also approved appointments to the city’s Citizen Street Advisory Committee, which staff described as a 15‑member body composed of two residents per ward, two at‑large residents, two representatives of major employers or economic development, a county representative designated by the county administrator or board of county commissioners, a school bus driver representative and a youth representative. Staff said the city received 12 qualifying applications and announced the recommended appointees at the meeting; council voted to appoint the named individuals unanimously.

Supporters on council said public education should both explain the upcoming ballot question and remind voters of past work completed under the tax. Staff noted street reconstruction costs have risen since 2019 — an example cost‑per‑block figure cited at the meeting rose from about $300,000 in 2019 to roughly $540,000 today — a factor staff said motivates beginning outreach early to allow design, engineering and utility coordination.

The motion to authorize the expenditure and the motion to appoint committee members were each carried by unanimous vote. The council directed staff to prepare the materials and move forward with the outreach plan. The renewal would still require voter approval in November 2026 before taking effect.