Moving Gunnison
County Forward.
Ballot Measure 1A is a 0.50% sales tax dedicated entirely to roads and bridges — closing a $38 million maintenance backlog without a new property tax. Every dollar is tracked and reported.
One county, every season
419 miles, in every kind of weather
From summer wildflowers to winter switchbacks, these are the roads 1A helps provide safe access and connection.
The problem
Our roads are aging faster than we can fund them.
The county's purchasing power for road maintenance has fallen roughly 25% since the pandemic, even as the backlog has grown to $38 million.
A $38 million backlog
A 2025 independent engineering assessment found just 36% of county roads in good condition, with multiple bridges rated poor or fair and deterioration accelerating without intervention.
Funding hasn't kept pace
The county's main road fund, the Highway User Tax Fund, has stayed roughly flat since the 1990s while construction, materials, and labor costs have climbed sharply — especially since the pandemic.
Residents are already paying
Washboarding and potholes are costing drivers an estimated $800 a year in extra vehicle wear — on top of the risk to school buses, cyclists, and emergency response times.
Where it goes
Every dollar, dedicated by law
The county maintains 419 miles of road and 48 bridges — 70% of that network unpaved. 1A revenue goes into a separate fund, spent only on roads and bridges, and reported to the public each year.
The county's full road network and current pavement condition — from very poor to very good. This is the network 1A funding is dedicated to maintaining and improving.
What it costs you
50 cents on a $100 purchase
1A is a consumption tax — you pay it when you spend, not on your home's assessed value.
A modest ask for a big backlog
For a household spending roughly $2,000/month on taxable goods, 1A costs about $10 a month — a fraction of the $800 a year Gunnisonians are already losing to pothole damage and premature vehicle wear on the roads we drive today.
See the full ballot language| Purchase | Added under 1A | |
|---|---|---|
| Tank of gas ($55) | +$0.28 | |
| Dinner out at a local restaurant ($75) | +$0.38 | |
| Oil change for the truck ($90) | +$0.45 | |
| New pair of skis ($600) | +$3.00 | |
| Average monthly spend ($2,000) | +$10.00 |
Questions
Straight answers
Want more detail?
Visit Gunnison County Roads & Bridges for a full project breakdownIs this a property tax increase?
No. State law doesn't allow counties to fund road maintenance through property tax without specific voter approval. 1A is strictly a sales tax added at the point of purchase on taxable goods and does not change property tax mill levies.
Can the county spend this money on anything else?
No. State law and the ballot language restrict 1A revenue to road and bridge maintenance, resurfacing, plowing, and related equipment. It cannot be redirected to the general fund.
Doesn't the county already have a sales tax for this?
Gunnison County's existing sales tax, approved in 1978, is legally restricted to capital projects and cannot fund ongoing maintenance — which is where the greatest need is. 1A closes that gap.
How will I know the money is being spent well?
The Road & Bridge Division will report project-by-project spending on the county website.
When do I vote?
Ballots go out in mid-October ahead of the November election. Registered Gunnison County voters can return ballots by mail or at any county drop box through Election Day.
Voices of support
Why neighbors are voting yes
I’m writing this letter in support of Ballot Measure 1A because county roads are more than pavement and gravel—they are the links that hold our community together. They connect families to schools, workers and customers to local businesses, residents and visitors to recreation, and emergency responders to the people who need them. Safe, reliable roads are part of what makes daily life in our county possible. A small 0.50% sales tax is a practical investment in the roads that keep our county connected.
I know this firsthand from my 24 years working in the Gunnison County Public Works Department maintaining county roads. As the District Foreman in the Doyleville District east of town, I saw how budget constraints limited our ability to provide the level of service our residents deserve. Even with dedicated crews doing the best they could, limited funding sources meant difficult choices and years of shortfalls. Ballot Measure 1A can help provide the funding needed to begin catching up and improve the roads we all depend on.
Another important reason to support 1A is that it spreads the cost across the people who use and benefit from our county roads. Residents, visitors, businesses, recreation users, and those traveling through the county all rely on these roads in one way or another. Road maintenance is not funded by property taxes; it depends on revenues from the Highway Users Tax Fund which has limited sources such as the state gas tax, which has not kept pace with inflation, and PILT funds—Payment in Lieu of Taxes. Those revenue sources have not kept up with the rising cost of construction, materials, equipment, and maintenance. A small sales tax helps share that responsibility more broadly, rather than placing the burden solely on property owners.
For these reasons, I urge voters to support Ballot Measure 1A. It is a modest, practical investment in the roads that keep Gunnison County safe, connected, and moving forward.
As someone who cares deeply about protecting the lands, waters, and wildlife of Gunnison County, I believe environmental stewardship requires us to think carefully about how we manage the infrastructure that connects our communities to this extraordinary landscape. That’s one reason I’m voting yes on ballot question 1A, the proposed sales tax for Gunnison County roads and bridges.
At first glance, roads and conservation might seem like competing priorities. Roads can fragment wildlife habitat, affect watersheds, and contribute to pressures on public lands. Those impacts are real and deserve our attention. But this measure isn’t to expand our footprint into undeveloped landscapes; it’s to responsibly maintain the infrastructure we already have.
Gunnison County maintains 419 miles of roads and 48 bridges. These are public assets that provide access to recreation and public lands and serve essential functions for emergency response, wildfire management, and community resilience.
Today, Gunnison County faces approximately $38 million in deferred road and bridge maintenance. The County’s budget is uniquely constricted by the state. Existing property taxes are not allowed to be used for road and bridge maintenance, and existing funding sources are increasingly inadequate to meet rising costs. This is not a sustainable trajectory.
Like our natural resources, infrastructure requires ongoing stewardship. When roads deteriorate or bridges require major reconstruction, the financial and environmental consequences are often more costly and consequential.
Environmental conservation teaches us the value of prevention, long-term planning, and recognizing that the choices we make today shape what future generations inherit. We understand that protecting a healthy watershed is more effective than trying to restore one after it has been severely degraded. The same principle applies to the public infrastructure we depend upon.
Our community’s economic vitality, quality of life, and environmental health are deeply interconnected. Responsible maintenance of existing roads is not a substitute for protecting wildlife habitat, managing recreation impacts, or safeguarding our watersheds, but it is a component of our broader commitment to caring for this place.
Ultimately, stewardship means accepting responsibility for what we’ve inherited and considering what we leave behind. Allowing our roads and bridges to deteriorate shifts growing costs and difficult decisions onto future generations.
I support 1A because I believe we can protect our natural landscapes while responsibly maintaining the infrastructure already woven into them. Both commitments reflect the same fundamental value of taking care of what we have instead of leaving the consequences of neglect to those who come after us.