Category Archives: TABOR Refunds

Dec 26

Slower economic growth, higher TABOR refunds projected in government forecasts

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FILE - Colorado State Capitol
Clouds build over the state Capitol in downtown Denver.

AP Photo/David Zalubowski

Two forecasts for Colorado’s economy cite continued growth in the state, but noted a tight labor market would cause that growth to be muted in the coming years.

The state legislature’s Joint Budget Committee has received forecasts from the Legislative Council Staff and the Office of State Planning and Budget.

The forecasts estimate that taxpayers will see refunds granted by the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR), as the state collects revenue above the state spending cap.

In a statement, House Democrats said the spending caps “limit the state’s ability to invest in critical priorities, such as education and transportation.”

The Legislative Council staff forecast said the state can expect to see economic activity expand as job growth and rising wages continue.

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Dec 12

In Two Blue States, Voters Back Democrats, But Show a Wariness Toward Taxes

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A lawn sign urges voters to oppose Proposition CC, which would have relaxed a Colorado law that restricts the state's taxing power. Voters rejected the measure in November.

A lawn sign urges voters to oppose Proposition CC, which would have relaxed a Colorado law that restricts the state’s taxing power. Voters rejected the measure in November. AP PHOTO/DAVID ZALUBOWSKI

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In Colorado and Washington, residents this fall voted to either constrain state tax revenues or cut fees, even as Democratic lawmakers argue the money is needed to support education and transportation programs.

Colorado voters during the past two elections have made clear that while they’re willing to back Democratic candidates, they’re reluctant to give them greater taxing power to help carry out their agendas.

That’s even as progressives argue that funding is falling short in areas like education and transportation. Last month, Coloradans kept up the pattern, rejecting a ballot measure that would have relaxed limits on the amount of tax collections that the state government can keep.

Further west, residents in another left-leaning state, Washington, also voted in November to crimp government revenues. Voters approved a ballot initiative to cap the cost of vehicle registration fees, or “car tabs,” which help pay for transit and other transportation programs.

“I think you could say it’s an anti-tax vote, clearly,” said Rep. Jake Fey, a Tacoma-area Democrat who chairs the Washington state House Transportation Committee.

In both places, the election results show how there can be limits to the appetite people have for paying more money for public services and infrastructure—even when a majority of a state’s voters are willing to support Democrats who tend to embrace more progressive platforms, which often involve bigger government.

The measures also highlight the complications and uncertainty that can arise when making tax policy at the ballot box, as well as some unique facets of each state’s tax structure.

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Dec 11

$10 million poured into 2019 election, but big money couldn’t push Proposition CC to passage

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A look at the final campaign cash reports shows plenty of dark money on Proposition CC and two major players betting big on Proposition DD.

Sandra Fish

Special to The Colorado Sun

cates for Proposition CC outspent the opposition by more than double but still lost in the statewide November election.

The two campaign committees behind the ballot question — Coloradans for Prosperity and Great Education Colorado — spent a combined $4.5 million on the failed effort, according to final campaign finance reports filed late last week.

Colorado voters  54% to 46% to reject Prop. CC, which would have ended the tax revenue caps in the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights.

The measure’s opponents spent at least $1.8 million, most of it from dark money organizations that didn’t disclose the source of the campaign cash.

All told, the five issue committees spent more than $10 million in the 2019 election on the two statewide ballot initiatives. About $3.8 million of that spending backed the successful Proposition DD measure to legalize sports gambling.

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Nov 29

What’s next after the failure of Proposition CC?

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Democrats in the Colorado legislature will sacrifice parts of their agenda or find politically risky ways to pay for it
By  The Colorado Sun

Thursday, Nov. 28, 2019 12:25 PM

With the defeat of Proposition CC, voters ensured taxpayer refunds and the periodic legislative exercise in avoiding them are here to stay.

The 2020 budget cycle is shaping up to be no exception. The legislative session is still weeks away, and Colorado budget writers already face a daunting list of requests.

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Nov 21

County mulls how to refund excess tax revenue

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  • CHARLES ASHBY
Mesa County’s three commissioners are hoping to find a better way to refund about $5.1 million in surplus revenue that it must return under the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights.

In the past, the county would do so through a property tax credit, but the commissioners said they were somewhat hesitant about using that mechanism for two reasons, one of which is that a good portion of it would end up in the hands of out-of-area property owners.

The bigger reason, however, is that the surplus revenue didn’t come from property tax payers.

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Nov 12

We could use your help, talents, and skills defending the gold standard, Colorado’s Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR).

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Now that Proposition CC has gone down in flames, what will progressives do next to sabotage TABOR?
Aren’t you sick and tired on politicians trying to weasel their way out of, or ignoring, TABOR?
We need to do something about it, right?
Well then, why not you?
Yes, you read that right.
Why not?  It’s a great time to get involved.
If not you, then who?
We could use your help, talents, and skills defending the gold standard, Colorado’s Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR).
We’re looking forward to having you help Colorado.
It’s easy to join.
See below on how you can make a difference.

 

 

 

Continue reading →

Nov 07

Hope and Despond in Colorado

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Voters stood up for tax refunds—but not charter schools.

By  The Editorial Board
Nov. 6, 2019 7:05 pm ET

Opinion: Colorado Voters Stood Up for Tax Refunds


Proposition CC would have affected the Taxpayer Bill of Rights in Colorado. However, the measure failed at the polls on November 5, 2019. Image: David Zalubowski/Associated Press

They didn’t make the biggest headlines, but Tuesday’s elections in Colorado included two results that deserve national attention. First, a wide margin of voters refused to weaken the state’s Taxpayer Bill of Rights, a constitutional provision that prevents state tax collections from outpacing inflation plus population growth.

Voters approved TABOR, as it’s commonly called, in 1992. Since then it has delivered Coloradans about $3.5 billion in tax refunds, which are required whenever state revenue exceeds the calculated limit. But politicians, being politicians, would much prefer to spend the extra funds. Proposition CC would have eviscerated TABOR by allowing the state to put any revenue windfall into schools and roads.

A point of worry among fiscal conservatives was the ballot question’s wording, which began: “Without raising taxes . . . ” Perhaps this was strictly accurate, since no tax rates would have changed. But it was misleading in spirit, given that the proposition’s point was to let the state government keep more taxpayer money. Voters weren’t fooled. The measure failed, 45% to 55%, as of the tally Wednesday.

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Nov 06

The next fiscal fight in Colorado starts now: A bid to repeal TABOR and one to raise taxes on top earners

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The defeat of Proposition CC on the 2019 ballot is not deterring a movement by liberal groups for a graduated income tax system

Colorado voters rejected a bid to remove the spending caps in the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights — but the fiscal fight is only expected to get more intense in the next year.

One interest group is considering a repeal of the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights and another is testing ideas for a graduated tax system that increases rates for the wealthy. Both are eyeing the 2020 ballot and appear undeterred by Proposition CC’s defeat this year.

“Whatever we do next must be bold enough to drown out the alarmists. That work begins today,” said Scott Wasserman at the Bell Policy Center, the organization seeking to overhaul the tax system, in a statement.

“If we truly want to build a state that works for everyone, then we need to amend the constitution,” added Carol Hedges at the Colorado Fiscal Institute, which is working to unwind TABOR.

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