Glenwood Springs Doubles Sales Tax To Fix Streets And Sewers

Glenwood Springs —Glenwood Springs just doubled down on its own infrastructure, and the results are already visible in the asphalt.

In November 2024, voters approved Ballot Measure 2A, a move that renewed and expanded the city’s Streets and Infrastructure Fund. The change was significant: the dedicated sales tax jumped from a half-cent to a full cent, with the extension running through 2044. For context, this wasn’t a minor adjustment. It was a structural shift in how the city finances its physical footprint.

The measure took effect on January 1, 2025. Since then, a quarter of every dollar raised has been set aside specifically for water, sewer, and electric infrastructure. This is the key mechanism. By tying the underground fixes to the surface rebuilds, the city avoids the classic "dig it up twice" problem. You fix the pipes while you’re already breaking the pavement for the road.

The Post Independent reports that the council views this as a trust exercise. The measure passed by a narrow margin, which suggests residents were weighing the cost against the necessity. The city’s argument is simple: if you’re going to pay for the street anyway, you might as well fix the sewer while you’re at it.

So, what has that money actually bought? The 2026 delivery list is specific and tangible.

• Soccer Field Road: A new sidewalk now connects Glenwood Springs Middle School to the bus stop, a link that didn’t exist before. The roadway itself has been repaved.
• 19th Street: Between Valley View Hospital and Grand Avenue, repaving is scheduled for completion by mid-October. This isn’t just a coat of tar. The project includes an upgraded stormwater system, sewer improvements, a new sidewalk, curb, and gutter on the south side, plus a new midblock crossing for pedestrian safety.
• Coach Miller Drive: Located behind the high school, this project was completed before the start of the school year. It involved rebuilding a failing road, adding missing sidewalks, installing new water lines and fire hydrants, and reconfiguring the school entrance to cut down on congestion and safety hazards.
• Highway 6 and 24: A shared-use path connecting two key portions of the city is nearing completion. It’s paired with new curb, gutter, and stormwater inlets to improve drainage and extend the road’s life. New light poles and the undergrounding of overhead electrical lines are part of this package, along with a new water line and four new fire hydrants.
• Fifth Street: The road surface between Laurel and Pine streets has been freshly repaired.
• Seventh Street: A new sidewalk connection links public parking to downtown. The surface for drivers and bicyclists has been improved after old train rails were removed and replaced with fresh asphalt.
• Ninth Street: Between Blake Avenue and Garfield Street, this road is open to traffic with a new surface and drainage improvements. It had been rated one of the city’s worst roads prior to this work.

The city directs residents to gwsco.info/roadwork for detailed timelines and maps. There’s also a mini ribbon-cutting ceremony planned for September 25 at 2 p.m., timed with homecoming festivities.

The practical bottom line is that the extra half-cent of sales tax is currently buying simultaneous surface and subsurface upgrades. The city is betting that fixing the pipes and the pavement in one stroke is cheaper and less disruptive than doing them separately. Whether that bet pays off over the next two decades depends on whether the infrastructure holds up. Right now, the streets are newer, the sidewalks are connected, and the drains are bigger. That’s the deal.