2025(The year that felt like a decade)
- Matt Benjamin
- Jan 7
- 5 min read
2025 was a year of real contrasts for Boulder. On the positive side, the city made meaningful progress on long-term, structural work that will shape our future: advancing the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan, adopting a new Wildfire Protection Plan informed by hard lessons from recent years, launching Boulder’s first-ever Economic Development Strategy, and preparing to welcome the Sundance Film Festival, an opportunity that will bring cultural energy and economic activity to our downtown. We also continued to modernize how the city governs, from streamlining permitting to strengthening outcome-based budgeting, all while maintaining our core commitments to climate action, housing, and public safety.
At the same time, 2025 was marked by moments of deep challenge and heartbreak. As the year got started, we saw the Federal government begin its relentless attack on all people and every corner of this country. Our local challenges were compounded by a federal landscape increasingly hostile to the principles this community holds dear, threatening civil rights, climate action, reproductive freedom, and democratic norms. A constrained budget and flat sales-tax growth forced difficult conversations about priorities and tradeoffs. Small businesses, especially restaurants, continued to struggle under rising costs, and a struggling national economy reminded us that progress is rarely linear. In June, our community was shaken by a targeted fire-bombing attack against our Jewish community in Boulder, killing one of our neighbors, Karen Diamond. This act of antisemitic violence struck at the heart of our values and reinforced the urgent need to confront hate wherever it appears. Towards the end of the year, Public Safety Power Shutoffs again exposed vulnerabilities in our energy infrastructure and caused economic harm to our businesses and residents. Boulder entered 2026 with a bit of fatigue, but with clearer direction and a renewed sense of urgency: a responsibility to protect one another, defend our values, and focus relentlessly on the fundamentals that keep our community safe, resilient, and inclusive.
Looking Ahead 2026
As we begin 2026, I want to share an update on the work ahead and the priorities that City Council agreed to focus on during our annual retreat earlier this month. These priorities reflect both the challenges Boulder is facing right now and the long-term decisions that will shape our community for decades.
After extensive discussion, Council aligned around six core priorities for the year ahead:
Power Resiliency
Public Safety Power Shutoffs (PSPS) have exposed a serious vulnerability in Boulder’s infrastructure. When power is shut off, residents can lose electricity, internet access, and even the ability to communicate during emergencies—putting public safety at risk.
This year, Council will focus on:
Legal strategies and regulatory pressure
State-level legislative advocacy
Targeted local investments in resilience
Our ultimate goal is simple but critical: Xcel Energy must invest more aggressively in Boulder’s grid so we are better protected from wildfire risk and far less reliant on power shutoffs as a safety tool. Improving resiliency means safer evacuations, better emergency communication, and greater reliability for homes, businesses, and medical needs.
Learn more about Boulder’s wildfire and resilience work here:
Exploring Our Authority to Modify the Tip Credit
Recent state legislation now gives cities more flexibility to adjust the tipped wage credit. Council will carefully explore whether changes to Boulder’s tip credit could provide meaningful relief to local restaurants, many of which are operating on razor-thin margins, while still protecting workers’ wages and job stability.
This work matters because:
Restaurants are a cornerstone of Boulder’s economy and culture
A single closure impacts workers, suppliers, and neighborhoods
Workforce stability is essential to service quality and worker income
I’m grateful Council agreed this issue deserves a thoughtful, data-driven process with input from workers, owners, and the broader community.
Background on Boulder’s minimum wage and tip credit:
Cost-Benefit Analysis of Wildfire Protection Efforts
Boulder recently adopted a comprehensive Wildfire Protection Plan, which outlines many important actions, from vegetation management to home hardening and emergency preparedness. Given our financially constrained budget, we owe it to residents to ask a key question: Which actions deliver the greatest safety benefit for each dollar spent? While I support this work, it is critical that we don't get stuck in a cycle of "analysis paralysis". We need to keep urgent action at the forefront of our work to protect our community.
This year, Council will begin a cost-benefit analysis of wildfire mitigation efforts so we can:
Prioritize the most effective risk-reduction strategies
Direct limited funds where they will save the most lives and property
Improve transparency and accountability around wildfire spending
You can review the Wildfire Protection Plan here:
Bicycle Security and Theft Prevention
Bike theft continues to undermine Boulder’s investment in cycling infrastructure and discourages people from choosing biking as a reliable mode of transportation.
This priority will focus on:
Stronger enforcement tools
Potential updates to local laws
Investments in secure bike parking and theft prevention
Reducing bike theft improves public safety, supports climate goals, and protects residents’ personal property, while helping biking remain a practical, everyday choice in Boulder.
You can see regular updates on bike theft here at the City's dashboard:
Updating Our Sister City Framework
Boulder’s sister city policies are outdated and no longer reflect how these relationships should function. Some sister city relationships have been inactive for years, while others do not meet the expectations originally set.
Council will modernize the framework to:
Establish clear expectations and accountability
Sunset inactive relationships
Ensure active sister cities deliver meaningful cultural and educational exchange
This update ensures Boulder’s international partnerships remain intentional, active, and aligned with our values.
More on Boulder’s sister cities:
Scoping an Overhaul of Our Land Use Code (Title IX)
Boulder’s land use code has grown overly complex, internally inconsistent, and difficult to navigate. It has become one of the biggest barriers to creating housing, supporting small businesses, and delivering predictable outcomes for residents.
This year, Council will begin scoping the work needed for a comprehensive overhaul of Title IX, with the goal of:
Simplifying rules and eliminating contradictions
Aligning regulations with community values
Creating a clearer, more predictable process for residents and builders
This is a generational investment. Done well, it will benefit Boulder for decades by making it easier to build the kind of community we say we want.
See for yourself the obese nature of our Land Use Code:
Other Major Efforts Moving Forward
In addition to these priorities, Council will continue advancing several major initiatives already underway:
Fund Our Future, focused on long-term fiscal sustainability
Finalizing the Boulder Valley Comprehensive Plan
https://bouldercolorado.gov/projects/boulder-valley-comprehensive-plan
Preparing for the arrival of the Sundance Film Festival, bringing cultural and economic benefits to our city
https://bouldercolorado.gov/news/sundance-film-festival-coming-to-boulder
Building Boulder’s new Department of Cultural and Economic Development to strengthen arts, culture, and economic vitality
I remain committed to approaching this work with transparency, pragmatism, and a focus on outcomes. Boulder faces real constraints, but also real opportunities. With clear priorities and strong community engagement, I believe we can continue moving our city forward in a way that reflects our shared values.
If you found this helpful, I'd appreciate you forwarding it to friends and neighbors. If you havnt already please feel free to sign up to my Newsletter HERE. The more people understand the full picture, the better decisions we'll all make together.
As always, thank you for being engaged, asking hard questions, and caring deeply about Boulder’s future.
Matt Benjamin
Boulder City Council
Comments