2016 BOULDER MUNICIPALIZATION ISSUES SURVEY

Hello, my name is _____________. I'm with Drake Research & Strategy, a Boulder based public opinion
research company. First, I want to assure you that we're not selling anything. Were conducting a very
interesting survey with City of Boulder voters about important local issues, and we would like to include your
opinions. Your telephone number was selected purely at random.

SCREENER
A.

First, I would like to confirm that you are at least 18 years old, and registered to vote in the City of Boulder? [n=404]
Yes ..........................................................................................................................................100% Continue
No ........................................................................................................................................... -- Schedule call back
DK/NS .................................................................................................................................. -- Schedule call back

B.

[Ask if R says No or DK,NS in Screener A; else go to Screener C] Is there someone at home

who is at least 18 years old, and registered to vote in the City of Boulder, with whom I may speak?

Yes .......................................................................................................... 100% Start over at Intro

No ...........................................................................................................
-- Terminate
DK/NS ..................................................................................................
-- Terminate
C.

Is the telephone number we called you on a cell phone, or is it a traditional home phone line, often called a
land line? [n=404]
Cell phone .............................................................................................................. 49%
Landline .................................................................................................................. 50%
Other ..................................................................................................................... 1%
DK/NS ..................................................................................................................
-- Terminate
D.

[Ask if R says Cell phone in Screener D; else go to Screener F ] Are you currently driving or

doing something else that makes it unsafe to talk?

Yes ..........................................................................................................
-- Thank; Set time to call back
No ........................................................................................................... 100% Continue

DK/NS..........................................................................................
E.

-- Terminate

[Ask only if R says Cell phone in Screener C; else go to Screener F ] Do you have a landline in
addition to your cell phone, or is your cell phone the only telephone that you have? [n=197]

Also have land line ............................................................................... 7%

Cell phone is my only telephone ....................................................... 93%
DK/NS ..................................................................................................
-- Terminate
F.

Sex? [Do not ask] [n=404]

Male ........................................................................................................................ 47%
Female .................................................................................................................... 53%
*An asterisk, wherever it appears, means that the result for that response rounds to less than 1%.

1.

Generally speaking, would you say things in the City of Boulder are going in the right direction, or do
you feel things here have pretty seriously gotten off on the wrong track in the past few years? n=404]

Right direction ..............

Wrong track...................
No opinion/DK/NS ...

2.

10/98

12/02

06/03

03/06

06/09

07/10

01/12

02/13

07/14

07/15

11/16

55%
30%
15%

51%
31%
18%

37%
50%
13%

62%
23%
15%

73%
18%
9%

61%
22%
17%

54%
27%
19%

56%
28%
16%

63%
21%
16%

59%
23%
18%

59%
28%
13%

I would now like to ask you a series of questions about municipalizationthe process by which the City of
Boulder may end up creating and operating a city-owned electric utility. First off, in November of 2011, the
voters of Boulder passed an increase in the Citys Utility Occupation Tax, which has provided the City with about
two million dollars a year, which has been used for the purpose of funding the costs of exploration and planning
for the creation of a municipal electric utility. That tax expires at the end of 2017, and without renewing the tax,
the City will lose the funding it needs to continue its municipalization effort. If an extension of this tax were on
the ballot today, would you vote in favor or against extending the citys Utility Occupation Tax? [n=404]
Vote in favor ................................................................................................ 48%
Vote against.................................................................................................. 34%
Undecided/DK/NS ................................................................................... 18%
Refused .........................................................................................................
--

3.

Next I am going to read you two statements about the City of Boulders effort to reach its climate goals of
achieving 100% renewable electricity by 2030, and by 2050, reducing by 80 percent the level of carbon
emissions released in Boulder from 2005 levels. After I read both statements, please tell me which one comes
closest to how you feel. The first is [Read first Statement; Randomize] [n=404]
Statement A: The best way to attempt to meet the Citys climate goals is to continue its effort to
create a municipal electric utility.
Statement B: The best way to attempt to meet the Citys climate goals is to negotiate a settlement
and new franchise agreement with Xcel Energy.
Which statement comes closer to how you feel, Statement A or Statement B?
Statement A.................................................................................................. 45%
Statement B .................................................................................................. 37%
Undecided at this time/Not sure ............................................................. 18%
Refused .........................................................................................................
*

4.

Thinking back to 2011 when Boulder voters initially authorized the City to pursue municipalization, did you
vote in favor or against municipalization? If you didnt vote in that election or dont recall how you voted,
just say so and Ill move on. [n=404]
Voted in favor..............................................................................................
Voted against ...............................................................................................
Didnt vote ...................................................................................................
DK/NS/Cant recall ..................................................................................
Refused .........................................................................................................

31%
22%
29%
18%
--

[If R says Didnt vote, DK/NS/Cant recall or Refused in Q4, go to Q6] And how do you feel

5.

today about the Citys effort to municipalize the local utility? Do you feel pretty much the same
today as you felt toward municipalization back in 2011, or do you now feel somewhat more or much
more [If In Favor in Q4, read: in favor of/If Against in Q4, read: against] municipalization, or
are you now [If In Favor in Q4, read: leaning against/ If Against in Q4, read: leaning in favor
of] it? If youre not sure, just say so. [n=216]

6.

If In Favor in Q4:
Now much more in favor ..........................................................................
Now somewhat more in favor ..................................................................
Pretty much the same as in 2011 ..............................................................
Now leaning against....................................................................................
DK/NS, but In Favor in Q4 ....................................................................

5%
7%
31%
11%
4%

If Against in Q4:
Now much more against............................................................................
Now somewhat more against....................................................................
Pretty much the same as in 2011 ..............................................................
Now leaning in favor ..................................................................................
DK/NS, but Against in Q4.......................................................................

17%
4%
18%
2%
1%

Next I will read you a list of five different priorities facing the City of Boulder, and after I read each
one, please tell me, in terms of spending City tax dollars, how high a priority you feel it should be. Is
it extremely important, very important, important, not too important or not at all important? The
first is: [Read list; Randomize] [n=404]
----------------------------Importance-------------------------Extremely Very Important Not too Not at all

a.
b.
c.

d.
e.
D1.

DK\
NS

Increasing the supply of low and

moderate income housing in the City ...

19%

34%

30%

9%

4%

4%

Attracting more good paying jobs to

the City .......................................................

8%

24%

35%

19%

10%

4%

Achieving the climate goals the City

has set for renewable energy and
carbon emissions reduction ....................

25%

34%

24%

8%

6%

3%

Managing traffic congestion in the

City .............................................................

16%

37%

32%

10%

2%

3%

Further addressing the problems of

the homeless .............................................

14%

35%

34%

9%

4%

4%

Now talking some more about you, earlier you indicated you are registered to vote. Are you
registered as a Republican, a Democrat, or are you unaffiliated or registered with some other party?
[n=404]
Republican..................................................................................................
Democrat....................................................................................................
Unaffiliated.................................................................................................
Green ..........................................................................................................
Libertarian ..................................................................................................
Some other party .......................................................................................
DK/NS.......................................................................................................

8%
56%
33%
1%
1%
1%
--

D2.

Are you either a full or part-time college student? [n=404]

Yes ................................................................................................................. 21%
No.................................................................................................................. 76%
DK/NS......................................................................................................... 3%

D3.

Do you own or rent your home? [n=404]

Own............................................................................................................... 56%
Rent ............................................................................................................... 37%
DK/NS/Refused ........................................................................................ 7%

D4.

Do you live East or West of Broadway? [n=404]

East of Broadway ........................................................................................ 59%
West of Broadway ....................................................................................... 36%
DK/NS......................................................................................................... 5%

D5.

And do you live North or South of Baseline? [n=404]

North of Baseline ........................................................................................ 66%
South of Baseline ........................................................................................ 28%
DK/NS......................................................................................................... 6%

D6.

May I ask how old you are? [n=404]

18-24 .............................................................................................................
25-34 .............................................................................................................
35-44 .............................................................................................................
45-54 .............................................................................................................
55-64 .............................................................................................................
65 or older ....................................................................................................
Refused .........................................................................................................

D7.

16%
16%
13%
15%
18%
21%
1%

And, which of the following income groups includes your family's total annual income from all
sources in 2015? [n=404]
Up to $20,000 ..............................................................................................
$20,000, but less than $30,000 ..................................................................
$30,000, but less than $40,000 ..................................................................
$40,000, but less than $50,000 ..................................................................
$50,000, but less than $60,000 ..................................................................
$60,000, but less than $75,000 ..................................................................
$75,000, but less than $100,000 ...............................................................
$100,000, but less than $150,000 ..............................................................
$150,000 or more ........................................................................................
Refused .........................................................................................................
DK/NS.........................................................................................................

7%
6%
8%
5%
7%
5%
12%
14%
19%
11% Do not read
6% Do not read

D8.

Finally -- so that we can make sure all groups are represented -- would you please tell me what racial
or ethnic group you consider yourself to be a member of? [Do not read list] [n=404]
White/Anglo................................................................................................
Hispanic/Latino ..........................................................................................
Black/African American ............................................................................
Asian/Oriental.............................................................................................
American Indian..........................................................................................
Multi-Ethnic/Mixed race ...........................................................................
Other .............................................................................................................
Refused .........................................................................................................
DK/NS.........................................................................................................

83%
5%
1%
1%
1%
2%
2%
2%
3%

Thank you for taking our survey, your

answers have been extremely helpful.

Methodology
2016 Boulder Municipalization Issues Survey was conducted on behalf of Boulders Daily Camera by Drake
Research & Strategy, Inc., a public opinion research firm in Boulder, Colorado. The results of this survey are
based upon 404 telephone interviews, 49% of which were conducted on respondents cell phones, conducted
among City of Boulder voters. Drake Research purchased a sample of telephone numbers, and a
supplemental list of cell phone numbers, of active voters living in the City of Boulder, which was then
randomly sampled. Quotas were established to obtain appropriate representation for gender, political party
and age. Interviews were conducted from November 13 to 18, 2016. A random sample of 404 has a worstcase 95% confidence interval of plus or minus 4.9% about any one reported percentage.