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Proposition HH continues to reveal many layers

Keynote speakers discuss proposition during Monday forum

Proposition HH is the most impactful measure going on the ballot this year, and Glenwood Springs had two specialists explain how to vote for it. 

An Issues and Answers Forum was hosted in Glenwood Springs by the Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association, the Glenwood Springs Post Independent and KMTS on Oct. 9. 

There were a couple big takeaways, including that TABOR refunds won’t be completely taken away if the economy continues improving, Proposition HH does provide a backfill for local governments to replace lost property tax income and the measure is big and vague enough to be called a “shell game.”



Brita Horn, a Colorado fire chief, ranch hand and keynote speaker, represented the group TABOR Coalition to Reject HH and Cary Kennedy, the former Colorado State Treasurer under Gov. Jared Polis, represented the group Yes on Prop HH

The debate started with Horn sharing concerns about residents losing their Taxpayers Bill of Rights refunds, while Kennedy focused on how much the propositions will benefit homeowners paying property taxes.



Horn said that the proposition will take TABOR refunds, hurt renters and hand over spending power from local to state government, while only offering “miniscule amount” of relief for property taxes.  

“It is a very slyly written ballot measure,” Horn said. 

Kennedy said the proposition would relieve an unavoidable increase in property taxes because property values continue going up. The proposition will cut the increase almost in half, almost $600 a year, she said. 

People older than 65 will be allowed to keep their homestead exemptions and renters benefit because they won’t see an increase pass through their landlord to them from a property tax increase, Kennedy said.

Kennedy said that as state revenues grow 5% a year for the next decade, families can still expect to get $10,000 in TABOR refunds.

“This does not eliminate TABOR refunds,” Kennedy said.

Next year, TABOR refunds will be reduced by an average of $46 and the rest will be based on whether the economy goes up or down.

When it came to schools, Horn said that Referendum CC is giving schools $30 billion which she implied was plenty, while Kennedy said the small amount taken from TABOR refunds would backfill what is not collected from property taxes.

Horn called the proposition a “shell game” to collect more taxes.

“Schools, your fire district, your hospital district, your water district, Colorado Mountain College, all receive and fund their services through property taxes,” Kennedy said. “What Proposition HH does is it responsively backfills those local governments the money that they’re going to lose when we reduce the property tax rate.”

Kennedy said that right now is not the time to be cutting funding for school and fire districts. 

The list of groups opposing the proposition includes the Denver Renter’s Association, the Colorado Municipal League, the Colorado County Inc., the Special Districts Association and the Garfield County Commissioners, Horn said. She also listed a multi-county lawsuit against the proposition.

Kennedy said the amount reduced from property taxes will not require additional relief because it will continue for a decade. 

“It puts in place a cap for future years where property tax collections won’t be able to grow by more than the rate of inflation,” Kennedy said.

She said it is a cap on the growth of property tax collections which will preserve local control.

“(Local government) can’t raise rates, but if they want to retain some of the revenue over the cap to meet local needs that becomes a local decision,” Kennedy said. “The default is, all districts have to keep their property tax collections at the rate of inflation going forward.”

Horn said she thought it was just a miniscule amount being reduced from property taxes, and that broad strokes don’t help local governments. 

Kennedy disagreed and said that a $500 to $600 reduction in property taxes and more than $800 in TABOR this year is not miniscule.

If the proposition fails, another solution to keep property taxes from rising was to ask for a special session for better tax relief, Horn said. 

Kennedy said that she doesn’t think there will be a rush for an alternative solution, property taxes will spike and if there is a different solution, it won’t guarantee any backfills for local government losses. 

Primary occupied homes will be given lower property tax rates, while second home owners will pay more, Kennedy said. 

“Something that got included in this proposal because of communities like Glenwood, like Garfield County and the Roaring Fork Valley who felt very strongly that our tax code needs to give breaks to primary homeowners,” she said.


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