Colorado lawmakers consider changes to citizen initiative process

Colorado lawmakers advanced a concurrent resolution on Tuesday that would weaken the power of statewide voter initiatives when it comes to cutting property taxes.

The resolution would require any statewide voter initiative that cuts or limits property taxes to go through additional steps before it could be implemented.

Voters at the local level would need to give their approval before any changes from the statewide initiative could apply to that local jurisdiction.

Supporters of the resolution say it would return the property tax issue to the local level where it belongs.

Opponents say it would block Coloradans from using ballot initiatives to reduce their property taxes.

Watching state lawmakers debate the ins and outs of property tax legislation is not most people’s idea of fun.

It’s something Garry Briese wishes he didn’t have to do.

“We don't believe that property tax should be decided in the capitol,” said Briese. “It needs to be decided at the local level where the need and the resources are.”

Briese is the executive director of the Colorado State Fire Chiefs, which represents more than 275 fire protection districts in the state.

“Fire protection districts in Colorado are funded basically solely by property taxes,” Briese said.

Fire chiefs say many fire districts are only now just recovering from the effects of the Great Recession of the late 2000s.

They say revenue from property taxes hasn’t kept pace with population growth and increased demand for service.

On top of that, they say property tax cuts passed in recent years have only made things worse.

Read the resolution in full below

“We've got a lot of small organizations on the plains and the west slope that are screaming mercy and saying they're going to have to close up shop,” said Brad White, the fire chief of Grand Fire Protection District No. 1 in Granby. “Or they're talking about holding onto that 25-year-old engine for another 10 years till they can find something.”

“We're asking the legislature to stop the bleeding,” said Briese. “Stop taking our revenue away from us and our ability to respond.”

That’s why they support a concurrent resolution that would require statewide voter initiatives that limit property taxes to be approved by voters at the local level before they could be implemented in that local jurisdiction.

“Let that be a local decision, not a statewide decision,” said Briese.

On Tuesday, the Colorado House of Representatives debated the resolution.

State Rep. Jennifer Parenti, D-Erie, said the resolution was the most important item lawmakers could debate during the special session.

“We have allowed a very dangerous narrative to take hold in this state over the past two years,” said Parenti. “One that is being reinforced to our citizens every day that somehow the state of Colorado has a major role to play in how much you are paying for property taxes. That is factually incorrect. Property tax rates are set, levied, and spent by local governments.”

Opponents, though, say it would just be a way for local governments to keep taxes too high.

“No single taxing jurisdiction is going to voluntarily give up extractions from the citizens of Colorado,” said State Rep. Ken DeGraaf, R-Colorado Springs. “The citizens of Colorado need relief. They don’t need 15 different special elections every time around in order to tell the taxing districts of Colorado that they don't need to be taxed anymore.”

The bill was introduced as lawmakers consider further property tax cuts and limits to future property tax increases as part of a compromise that Gov. Jared Polis and a handful of lawmakers from both parties reached with proponents of two citizen ballot initiatives.

Initiative 50 would institute a 4% cap on statewide property tax revenue growth and require voter approval if revenue growth increases by more than 4%.

Initiative 108 would reduce property tax assessment rates and require the state to reimburse local governments any revenues lost.

Polis said if the initiatives passed, it would devastate funding for local services.

Lawmakers in the House advanced the resolution on Tuesday.

If it gets two-thirds support of lawmakers in both chambers, it would be sent to voters as a ballot measure in November.

Because it would amend Colorado’s constitution, the measure would need 55% of the votes to pass.

At Denver7, we're committed to making a difference in our community. We're standing up for what's right by listening, lending a helping hand and following through on promises. See that work in action, in the featured videos in the playlist above.