Name: Mark McIntyre
Website URL: www.markforcouncil.com
Age: 59
Family: Wife Jill, two grown children, and two grandchildren and our parents, all live in Boulder county.
How long have you lived in Boulder: 42 Years
Professional background: Engineering sales of U.S.-made metal and plastic parts to local companies
Political/community experience: I have been active in the community since I arrived. I am currently serving on the city’s Transportation Advisory Board. Past service includes several working groups: Campaign Finance and Transportation Funding.
Education: BFA, University of Colorado
What kind of new funding mechanisms, if any, would you support the city exploring and implementing to finance transportation network improvements?
As part of the Transportation Funding Working Group, I proposed a progressive vehicle valuation tax (VVT) as an alternative to the other regressive taxes proposed. This VVT would be based on the value of your vehicle rather than the type of fuel it burns. The fee would decrease in percentage as the value of your vehicle declined easing the burden on our low-income residents. It is designed to tax all of those that use our roads in a fair and progressive way. Those that can afford expensive vehicles should pay more. We offer plenty of federal and state tax credits to the wealthiest among us that can afford to purchase the latest fuel-efficient vehicles.
Do you think Boulder can build its way to better affordability? And if not, what kind of local regulations aimed at boosting affordable housing and limiting housing costs that would not require a change to state law to impose would you support?
Our city has stated goals for affordability (15% of all housing units affordable to low and moderate income households by 2035). We also say we want to be diverse, socially and economically. I support those goals. But, we will never reach those goals by saying, “not here, not now.” I would increase affordability and strengthen our community by:
- Broadening the type of housing allowed in more zoning districts, more ADUs, granny flats, etc.
- While maintaining our 55-foot height limit, require additional community benefit from developers to go beyond 35 feet.
- Focus on workforce housing so that more of those that work here can live here.
- Actively support 15-minute, mixed-use neighborhoods along transit corridors.
- Continue the good work of Boulder Housing Partners, which has a proven track record of building and managing excellent affordable properties and maximizing the use of city funds with a broad range of partnerships. It is only through these partnerships that we have a chance of meeting our goals.
Do you support instituting some type of fee on users or vehicles entering open space properties to fund their maintenance, and if so, what kind?
Yes, we have a program now but it is out-of-date and unenforced. We need to reform it, broaden the areas, to which it applies, and enforce it. Simultaneously we need better infrastructure at all trailheads for those that choose to ride or walk to their hike. By doing all of the above, holistically, we can decrease congestion, fund maintenance and help move toward our greenhouse gas goals.
