Broomfield Taxpayer Matters

June 3, 2024

This newsletter contains the following stories and information:

Local Business Spotlight - La Distileria
Next Action Event: Social Media - It's Not All Bad
Charter Ballot: Repeal and Replace?
Governor Polis Using TABOR Refunds for EVERYTHING?
California Taxpayer Bill of Rights
"Citizenship in a Republic" - The Man in the Arena
City Council Agendas for June 4, 2024 and June 11, 2024
City Council member contact information

Pay Attention to these upcoming items in the Agendas:

June 4th
2A. Police Department Presentation
8A. Addition of Conduct and Decorum Rules for Public Meetings
June 11th
2B. Advisory Committee on Environmental Sustainability (ACES) Presentation
7A. Public Hearing - Drought Response Plan - Third Reading
7C. Proposed Ordinances and Possible Charter Changes - First Reading

“If liberty means anything at all, it means the right to tell people what they do not want to hear.”

― George Orwell

Local News

Local Business Spotlight - La Distileria

In this week's newsletter, we are excited to highlight La Distileria at 2255 W 136th Ave #172 in Broomfield.

La Disteleria is a locally owned family friendly restaurant that serves unqiue mexican dishes including tapas, street tacos, and the best steak burrito in town.

Owner Isaac Gonzalez is mainstay in the restaurant community in Broomfield. Isaac's passion is bringing great culture and food to Broomfield.

Isaac is currently fighting to keep his business open as he works through liquor licensing issues outside of his control with the City of Broomfield and the State of Colorado.

La Distileria is a true Broomfield treasure. Please stop by La Distileria today or this week to meet Isaac, stay for lunch or dinner, and enjoy the great food on the beautiful outdoor patio.

It is a guaranteed can't miss!

Our Next "Make Your Voice Heard" Action Event:

"Social Media, It's Not All Bad"

Do you want to learn about how to use social media, emails, and other contact methods to reach your friends, family and and neighbors on topics that you want them to be aware of? Then this event is for you!

Please take a moment to register here for this next Make Your Voice Heard event, you won't want to miss it!

Below are the event details.

Event Date and Time:

June 29, 2024, from 1-3pm

Check-in begins at 12:30pm

The event location will be sent after sign up is completed and RSVPs have been verified and confirmed.

* Broomfield Taxpayer Matters is a 501(c)4 organization. We reserve the right to accept or reject any reservation request for this event.

“Once a government is committed to the principle of silencing the voice of opposition, it has only one way to go, and that is down the path of increasingly repressive measures, until it becomes a source of terror to all its citizens and creates a country where everyone lives in fear. [Special Message to the Congress on the Internal Security of the United States, August 8, 1950]” ― Harry S. Truman

Broomfield Charter to Repeal and Replace Entire Charter with One Ballot Question...

The Council will decide whether all 56 Charter changes will be stuffed into one ballot measure or whether they will be spread over several years. First Reading will happen on June 11th. Second Reading will occur on July 9th.

Please consider attending the June 11th Regular Session. Let us know that you will attend by visiting this page.

Keep in mind that any changes to the Charter must go to a vote of the Broomfield Voters. The Law states that each ballot item must focus on a single subject. So, how will they reconcile 56 changes as a single subject?

The presentation summarizing the items discussed can be found here, and the actual charter with red-lined changes can be found here. And, our summary of the changes that were discussed is available on our website here (please go to the April 16, 2024 study session section on the page).

Summary for June 11th Charter Discussion

As the council votes whether to repeal and replace the entire Charter in one fell swoop, we want to make sure you understand the changes addressing the governance structure. Broomfield Taxpayer Matters stands against increasing the government's power and for maximum freedom for the citizen.

Here is a reminder of the significant changes they are proposing:

Mayor would go from a 2-year term to a 4-year term
Charter was initially set-up so that the mayor would run with councilmembers for each election to increase voter turnout
Staggered councilmember terms would ensure there was a senior member and a junior member to keep knowledge flowing
Argument presented by council includes the fact that the mayor can't learn her job in 2-years, but remember in any other job, the probationary period is typically 1 year.
Extending term limits from 2 to 3 terms
Even the state has a 2-term limit, this is based on the idea of limited government
Council argument for this is they need consistency of policy
Incumbents usually win because of name recognition, but current House of Representatives job approval rating is 15%, so why do they keep getting elected?
Recall of council members limited to accusations of illegal or unethical reasons
The Charter Committee did not make this recommendation
How ethical is it for the council to decide on limiting your voice, this is against the 1st amendment
Mayor Pro-Tem automatically seated in the case of Mayor vacancy

Our current charter ensures maximum freedom for you the citizen, and limits what the government can do to you, remember:

They are not listening to their constituents, think property taxes and the fact that they said they needed the money more than you
They are driving up the cost of living in Broomfield, while saying they are for affordability
They are not following their stated priorities, but like paint splatter, they are all over the place

You can review the discussions about these items on our website.

State of Colorado News

Governor Polis Using TABOR Refunds for EVERYTHING?

If someone takes something from you without your permission, isn't that called stealing?

The Common Sense Institute's report that there were 101 bills passed this session relies on tax credits "which reduce the future amounts of tax income the state receives and, in doing so, reduce the refunds that go to residents when the TABOR cap is exceeded."

What about paying for college expenses for other's which Governor Polis claims is free, but will be taken out of your TABOR refund dollars.

How about paying for rail too? I guess businesses no longer have to be self-sufficient or have a good business plan, because the rest of us will foot the bill.

Government grows and grows and grows, while the citizen becomes smaller and so does their wallet.

California Taxpayer Bill of Rights

A proposed bill in California to make it more difficult to raise taxes on citizens appears to be causing controversy.

You: My taxes are too high

Legislature: We need your money more than you do, it will "make it harder for us to raise the proper fees and collect the right revenue", sit down and shut up! (our words)

Does this sound familiar?

We happened to look at what was in the 2007 California Taxpayer Bill of Rights, we agree with these words:

The Legislature finds and declares that taxes are the most

sensitive point of contact between citizens and their government, and

that there is a delicate balance between revenue collection and

freedom from government oppression. It is the intent of the

Legislature to place guarantees in California law to ensure that the

rights, privacy, and property of California taxpayers are adequately

protected during the process of the assessment and collection of

taxes.

You would have more money if they would quit taking it all from you. No wonder it is hard for the common man to survive.

"Citizenship in a Republic" - The Man in the Arena

Your voice matters.

You are the essential piece in America's Republic.

We have come to a point in history, where we have reached luxury.

It is time to "turn back to try to recover the possessions of the mind and the spirit"

Mr. Roosevelt continued:

"Today I shall speak to you on the subject of individual citizenship, the one subject of vital importance to you, my hearers, and to me and my countrymen, because you and we are great citizens of great democratic republics. A democratic republic such as ours—an effort to realize in its full sense government by, of, and for the people—represents the most gigantic of all possible social experiments, the one fraught with great responsibilities alike for good and evil."

"It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood; who strives valiantly; who errs, who comes short again and again, because there is no effort without error and shortcoming; but who does actually strive to do the deeds; who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions; who spends himself in a worthy cause; who at the best knows in the end the triumph of high achievement, and who at the worst, if he fails, at least fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who neither know victory nor defeat."

"There is little use for the being whose tepid soul knows nothing of the great and generous emotion, of the high pride, the stern belief, the lofty enthusiasm, of the men who quell the storm and ride the thunder. Well for these men if they succeed; well also, though not so well, if they fail, given only that they have nobly ventured, and have put forth all their heart and strength. It is war-worn Hotspur, spent with hard fighting, he of the many errors and the valiant end, over whose memory we love to linger,"

Broomfield citizens, you are the ones in the struggle to preserve individual freedom. At every turn there are those that wish to rule over you, to tell you how to live your life.

You must keep that spirit of freedom, not only for you, but for those who do not know what they have until it is forever lost.

Upcoming City Council Meetings - Please let us know if you plan to attend by registering here.

June 4, 2024

Regular Meeting - 6:00 p.m.

Agenda

Meeting Commencement (1)

1A. Pledge of Allegiance

1B. Review and Approval of Agenda

Petitions and Communications (2)

2A. Police Department Presentation

Councilmember Reports (3)

Public Comment (4)

Reports (5)

Consent Items (6)

6A. Approval of Minutes for the 5.28 Regular Council Meeting

6B. IGA for MAT Grant Funding

6C. Agreement with ConvergeOne for 911 Phone System Support and Maintenance

Action Items (7)

7A. The Bay and BCC Rezoning from PUD to PROL District

Ordinance 2230 - 2nd Reading

7B. Business Support Update & Two Project Agreements

Ordinance 2237 - 1st Reading

Mayor and Councilmember Requests for Future Action (8)

8A. Addition of Conduct and Decorum Rules for Public Meetings

Adjournment (9)

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June 11, 2024

Regular Meeting - 6:00 p.m.

Agenda

Meeting Commencement (1)

1A. Pledge of Allegiance

1B. Review and Approval of Agenda

Petitions and Communications (2)

2A. Proclamation Declaring June 12, 2024 as Bal Swan Children's Center Day

2B. Advisory Committee on Environmental Sustainability (ACES) Presentation

2C. Great American Picnic Presentation

Councilmember Reports (3)

Public Comment (4)

Reports (5)

Consent Items (6)

6A. Approval of June 4th Minutes

6B. CDOT IGA & Local Agency Match for IGA for CO7 Priority 1A

Resolution 2024-70: Amendment to CDOT IGA through 2020-2023 TIP for CO7 Priority 1A
Resolution 2024-71: Local Agency Match IGA for CO7 Priority 1A Funding

6C. SCFD Funding Allocations for the 2024/2025 Funding Cycle