Proposition HH - A Lose-Lose Proposition
Governor Jared Polis recently signed SB 23-203 into law, which places Proposition HH on the November ballot.
Proposition HH (aka - SB23-203) is a lose-lose proposition for all Coloradoans.
- If Proposition HH fails to pass, Coloradoans will see the largest property tax increase in state history.
- If Proposition HH passes, Coloradoans will STILL see the largest property tax increase in state history (just a little be less than if HH fails), AND Coloradoans will be giving up our TABOR tax refunds to offset to slightly smaller property tax increase. And we will be giving up the TABOR tax refunds - forever.
Proposition HH is facing a huge outcry from the public as it is a rushed, confusing measure that in the end does not help with the outrageous increase in property taxes. Letters to the editor to legal challenges are now being mounted against Proposition HH. Broomfield Taxpayer Matters has joined a coalition to challenge Proposition HH both legally and at the ballot box.
Many of the comments on Proposition HH point out that since "homeowners have zero control over housing prices", should we pay higher property taxes just because the housing market is out of control? It is also being noted that "politicians have an insatiable appetite for tax dollars. The housing market boom has them seeing dollar signs — our dollars, dropping windfall into their laps."
Another letters states that "We were lied to about repealing Gallagher. We are being lied to about property tax relief. The Gallagher repeal started with "without increasing property tax rates (emphasis added)...Now, the “relief” example says that the 30 percent increase in taxes of $834 would go down to $406. That is still a 15% increase.” Another taxpayer says, "The governor needs to call a special session and develop better alternatives for voters to consider." Take a look at the other short letters to get a sense of how fellow citizens feel about the issue.
Legal challenges have been filed against SB23-303. "The lawsuit alleges the bill behind the measure violates the state constitution’s single-subject rule for legislation and clear intent provisions." Another problem with this bill is that it not only pays you back from your TABOR refund, it eliminates the TABOR refund after a few years. Then in 2033, "Beginning with the 2033 property tax year, all of the temporary valuation reductions expire and the valuation of all residential real property is 7.15% of the actual value of the property." So they are going to take away any relief if property values remain high. Suddenly, their plan for affordability is not so affordable. We have developed a graph showing you how the various residential assessment rates have affected your tax bill. If your home was still worth $500,000 then the RAR would be close to what Gallagher would have done, but now your home has increased 40% from $500,000 to $700,000. So instead of letting Gallagher help you, your state legislature has made living less affordable, making sure they maintain their tax base and more.
We are hearing from a lot of property owners and realtors offering help. Do you know who we are not hearing from? Governor Polis, the state legislature, and our city council. Those are the people who can provide relief.
What can you do? Tell your Broomfield City Council to reduce the CCOB mill levy, like the Colorado Mountain Board, who must actually care about their constituents. Also urge the Broomfield City Council to join the lawsuit filed by 12 other counties in Colorado.
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