Name: Benita Duran
Website: www.BenitaForBoulder.com
Age: 58
Family: Unmarried, mother of one son
How long have you lived in Boulder: 26 years
Professional background: 30 years local government professional — project director, Latino Cultural Arts Center of Colorado; owner, Duran Consulting; former Boulder assistant city manager; former VP of government affairs, CH2M Hill.
Political/community experience: Community volunteer, 26 years; board member BCH; former board member of Community Foundation Boulder County.
Education: BA, economics, University of Denver; MPA, public administration, University of Colorado.
What kind of new funding mechanisms, if any, would you support the city exploring and implementing to finance transportation network improvements?
Economic health and fiscal sustainability are top priorities for me. The city’s general fund pie is very limited. Raising sales taxes or arbitrary fees are not my answer. I have a focus on where funding sources can be shifted outside of general fund and reduce the pressures of relying exclusively on sales tax for funding priorities. I support establishing the proposed library district in 2020. This approach frees up approximately $10 million that can realign general fund resources to support transportation network improvements. Additionally, I support a county/regional transportation district. I also support strengthening Open Space and Mountain Parks’ philanthropic arm to boost funding for programmatic support. In these examples, I support efforts to shift certain costs to property tax mechanisms and philanthropy/charitable vehicles to relieve pressure on the city’s general fund pie.
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?
Yes. New construction is a part of the “getting to yes” answer — of creating places where there are a mix of housing types, structures, price points that make it desirable, affordable, safe and sustainable. Thoughtful design, on-site community benefits (like office/studio space for human services programs, creatives and therapists), and 15-minute neighborhood approaches are key. Second, addressing regulations, zoning, homeowner/renter education, ADUs, unrelated household sizes, improved efficiencies in the permitting process are all tools I advocate for to help address affordability options and opportunities. Third, I support a serious exploration of a community land trust model with local community-based foundations for the preservation of existing middle-income housing stock.
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, a voluntary and philanthropic approach. The OSMP newly established philanthropic arm can be a major player here. I’d encourage a “museum donation box” approach — or a slick solar-powered credit card swipe — that collects a “friendly fee” of $5 to 10 per hiker/biker. An annual “locals pass” is another option I support. Learning from the practices of Jefferson County and the Denver Greenways Foundation, the OSMP Foundation can grow to be a major charitable strength of the program and relieve pressure on the general funds, while providing a financial boost to the programmatic needs not covered by sales tax extension funding.