CO's state level Dems (and progressive, pro-tax advocates) cry foul on lowering prop taxes. Rebutting the idea that lowering prop taxes leaves gov't services without recourse to get operating revenue
When DougCo's local government tried to drop property taxes, some state level Democrats and progressive, pro-tax advocates are crying foul.
Why? Ostensibly it's that they have tremendous concern over whether or not local governments can still fund services, and whether they've changed property appraisals incorrectly (against state law).
The more cynical side of me says that their concern is at least also partly about ...
--wanting people to see their TABOR-busting Prop HH as their sole means of lower taxes
and
--a loss of local property tax might require the state to make up the shortfall (meaning less money for Progressive pet projects and growth of state government)
The Sun article linked first below details what might be a fuss brewing between state Democrats and the DougCo commissioners over their plan to lower property valuations (and thus property taxes) by 4%.
Here is the crux of the disagreement. There is a state law that allows the state to reach in on local property valuations if the state (through its State Board of Equalization linked second below) says a local government is off more than 5% on their valuations.*
This board is, as almost all of our state is, run by Democrats and they're using that authority to reach in on DougCo's decision to lower valuations. An auditor chosen by the state will review the financials and then report to the State who will then (in December likely) decide whether to tell DougCo to revisit its appraisals and alter or scrap its plan.
Reading the article, I almost get the sense that there is something of an argument being made (at least by one DougCo official) that this re-appraisal was justified by home values or something. Then you hear from State Senator Hansen (who's on the board) saying that there are concerns over whether this process meets state law, along with a quote from uber Progressive Scott Wasserman of the
I think I'd disagree with both. I think the WHOLE THING is political.
I think DougCo changing home values is political and meant to lower taxes**. Full stop. Dress it up however you'd like.
At the same time, the state stepping in is just as political because they want to push Prop HH and not use state money to make up shortfalls. Full stop. Dress it up however you'd like.
I am thinking that I will reach out to the admin of the State Board of Equalization to see if and how the public can get involved. At that point, I'll see about emailing and/or writing in.
Part of the reason I say this is because of a quote from Sen Hansen in the article:
"He’s [Sen Hansen] also expecting to hear protests from local districts in Douglas County."
Other voices should be speaking up so that it isn't just local taxing districts joining the conversation.
If I choose to do so, I'll update and share.
*According to the Sun article this has happened once before when DoloresCo tried this to ease taxes on Ag land.
**You will note in the Sun article that Sen Hansen says that if local governments want to lower property taxes they should do it by lowering the mill levy. That is another approach, but a key detail left out here is the fact that by choosing to lower valuations, DougCo is choosing to lower ALL taxes for all of the entities that charge property tax. Let's say the county lowered their mill levy. That would lower taxes for the portion of your total bill that went to the county. You'd still have to pay a full share of tax for, say, any water districts you were in.
https://coloradosun.com/2023/10/12/douglas-county-property-tax-relief-challenge/
https://dpt.colorado.gov/committees-and-boards#:~:text=The%20State%20Board%20of%20Equalization,with%20consent%20of%20the%20Senate
Related
A CPR article that touches on the DougCo fuss, but goes into more detail about local efforts to reduce property taxes.
Decent reference, and less tilted left than the Sun's effort.
Worth a read.
https://www.cpr.org/2023/10/13/property-taxes-are-set-to-rise-big-time-next-year-will-your-local-government-do-anything-about-it/
I'd like to offer the following rebuttal with regard to lowering property taxes.
Let me start with a quote from the Sun article I used in the previous post (linked here again for convenience's sake):
"West Metro Fire Rescue, for instance, will be affected by the change. The district is mostly in Jefferson County but stretches into a portion of Douglas County. Chief Don Lomardi told The Colorado Sun that Douglas County’s commissioners didn’t consult with him before making the reduction, which comes as he’s contending with a sharp increase in labor costs and more expensive firefighting equipment. 'I don’t have a money making machine in our basement,' he said. 'I don’t know how they think that we’re going to be able to stomach all of these losses long term because they end up compounding.'”
What you see above is a common lament of many taxing districts. It is essentially that they're already hungry and underfunded.
There are certainly government tax districts that are short on money. There are certainly ones that are not (or that are unwilling to reprioritize their spending to make due like all individuals and families do in this state).
Without going into whether this one district is or is not hurting for money, I'd offer the following general rebuttal to the idea that we can't have lower property taxes because fire departments and other sympathetic groups feel like they can't do with less: if you need more, ask.
There is a process for districts to get more money in this state and that is by asking the voters. Granted, it's not a guarantee you'll get the money, but you won't automatically lose either.
When voters see time-limited requests for specific things they have shown a willingness to support it. If you think that your request would be large enough to not be successful, get a loan and make your request be an increase to make payments on the loan.
No thoughtful and reasonable Coloradan wants to eliminate the things government does to make them healthy or safe.
But, by that same token, no reasonable Coloradan wants to dump money into black holes and feed an insatiable government either.
To those saying they need more, I say, "ask me and let's talk".
https://coloradosun.com/2023/10/12/douglas-county-property-tax-relief-challenge/