Council Considers Car Fee To Lower Carbon Emissions

BOULDER, CO -- Owning a car in Boulder - particularly one of the high-value, non-electric variety - might get a bit more expensive. City Council on Tuesday night discussed the possibility of levying a new fee on cars in the city, based upon a percentage of the car's value, with electrical vehicles exempt and hybrids assessed at a lower rate. The funds raised would be used to further progress on the city's climate commitment goals.

According to city staff analysis, the current funding for climate project, largely provided by the city's Climate Action Plan (CAP) tax, is insufficient to facilitate the type of change needed to keep the planet from warming 1.5 degrees Celsius. At Tuesday's meeting, the council discussed a variety of proposed methods that could help the city to generate more money for the programs.

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City staff presented the "Vehicle Efficiency Registration Fee" was presented as the top near-term financing option and projected one could be up for an official council vote as soon as late 2019. Although staff explored the option of assessing the fee based upon specific fuel efficiency or vehicle miles travelled per year, they found those options not to be viable because the necessary information is not currently stored in the statewide registration database and would require a revamp of that entire system.

"Nationally, vehicles are the top contributor to greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and their share of Boulder’s emissions is growing as the grid becomes cleaner," explained the council packet. "This fee would help to counter the disincentives for electric vehicles that are part of the current registration process."

According to analysis reported in the Daily Camera, the city staff's goal is to develop a fee that would cost the average car driver $15 a year.

On Facebook, residents voiced concerns that the fee could amount to a regressive tax on the community. "Not everyone out here can afford a $50,000 hybrid or electric vehicle," wrote one commenter.

The city's Climate Commitment contains a goal to reduce community-wide emissions 50 percent by 2030.

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