TABOR Gives Taxpayers a Voice

By Dennis Polhill

A recent election result showed the great value of the requirement within the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights for voters to approve new taxes or debt.  There was a TABOR election in the Foothills Fire Protection District (FFPS).  The outcomes measure how upset voters were with the proposed actions of elected officials.

Ballot issue 6B would have allowed the District to issue new debt.  That was soundly defeated 74.11% to 25.89%

Ballot issue 6C would have increased taxes and it too was defeated, by 66.98% to 33.02%

The tactics used to obtain this taxpayer money were very questionable.  A former board member who painstakingly reviewed all meeting documentation learned that there had been absolutely zero public discussion of the proposed ballot measures prior to the August meeting when the measure was placed on the ballot.  Yet, the proposal passed unanimously – without discussion!  Had something been happening behind the scenes, in violation of the Sunshine laws?  Note that the August meeting was the last possible moment to meet the County Clerk’s deadline for a November citizen vote to put the referral to the ballot .

Paradise Hills Homeowners Association on Lookout Mountain accounts for close to half of the homes protected by FFPD and owns a vacant lot designated for open space use near an I-70 highway exit. At a Homeowners Association meeting an alert retired firefighter picked up on what was happening when it was mentioned that FFPD would buy the vacant lot for a new station for $400,000, yielding a significant rainy day fund or dues waiver for Homeowners Association owners.   Did FFPD intend to buy their votes with their own tax dollars?

Citizens immediately started getting the word out; flyers were printed, yard signs went up, and a couple of large banners created.  Comments on Nextdoor were not friendly to FFPD, resulting in the censoring from Nextdoor of some neighbors who posted information.

By this time the community was in angry uproar and five folks who otherwise likely would never have run for any office are now candidates for the five seats on the FFPD board due to be elected on May 2, 2023.