Local Measures

While the headlines regarding our national debt receive a lot of attention, there is something happening at the local level that should concern Coloradans. If this continues, individuals will be taxed out of their homes and their businesses. Every time voters approve a property tax or Mill Levy Override (MLO), we are pledging our homes and our businesses to pay for projects, compensation and/or debt. And every time we approve increased sales taxes, we are making life less affordable for ourselves, our families and our neighbors. And unbeknownst to most of us, these ballot questions are asking for something else: all of the money.

TABOR (Colorado Taxpayer's Bill of Rights) was passed by the people of Colorado as an amendment to the Colorado Constitution. If PBIs (Politicians, Bureaucrats and Interested Parties) want to tax us, incur debt that we have to pay off or keep excess taxes they have collected, they must ask us via a vote of the people. Before the ink was even dry on TABOR, a scheme was developed called de-Brucing or de-TABORing revenue. It works like this: the ballot question asks for the tax increase or bond debt and then inserts language to keep all of the excess taxes that are collected. Whenever you see a reference to "Article X, Section 20" or "Shall all revenues be collected, retained, and spent notwithstanding any revenue limits provided by law," the taxing entity is sneakily asking to keep it all. It is time to say NO to this scheme.