Defending TABOR on its 30th anniversary

JOE WEBB

ponents of TABOR that TABOR proponents just wish to limit the growth of government and to nix needed and essential government spending. Untrue. TABOR proponents like myself just wish the voters to have more of a say in how government appropriates their money.

Voters have voted breaks upon TABOR in the past and they may just do so again.

What TABOR does is provide constraints on the revenue side of the Colorado state budget and local budgets around the state. It seems to me that the Colorado state budget ought to be examined as to how it is

LINDA SHAPLEY Publisher lshapley@coloradocommunitymedia.com

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DONNA REARDON Marketing Consultant dreardon@coloradocommunitymedia.com produced. at is the aim of probably the next 10 columns I propose to write for Colorado Community Media.

It will be a di cult undertaking. If I am successful at conveying the information that I research and interview others about, what will happen is that I will convey merely a rudimentary understanding of how the Colorado state budget is formulated, processed and voted upon. I was told by one former member of the Joint Budget Committee that it takes years to really understand the budget. If that is the case then what I share may be inadequate.

But I am willing to try this and distill the knowledge that I accumulate by researching and digging by writing it in this column. If I do this, the problem is that I may fail in conveying something with only so many

KRISTEN FIORE West Metro Editor kfiore@coloradocommunitymedia.com

DEB HURLEY BROBST Community Editor dbrobst@coloradocommunitymedia.com

RUTH DANIELS Classified Sales rdaniels@coloradocommunitymedia.com words allocated per column. Correct me please knowing that I may have made an error in judgment, not intent.

Knowing the what and how of the appropriations process from formulation to request and nally a vote by the legislature is important. It is also important to examine the components of the budget both revenue and expenditures. We need to look at what exactly the revenue and expenditure side of the budget is composed. All of these parts create the budget for which TABOR is but one factor. TABOR deserves a defense on this its’ 30th birthday. But the best defense for anything is always rooted in an understanding of the primary issue for TABOR which is the Colorado state budget. Joe Webb is the former chairman of the Je co Republican party.

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Letter To The Editor

Third-party vendor fees for property taxes

Happy New Year! As you know, property taxes fund critical services from Special Districts such as our Je erson County school district, re departments, public works, water, sewer, city services, public safety, etc.

For every dollar of property tax collected, 24 cents goes to Je erson County government for services and projects. e other 76 cents funds the services and projects of Je Co Special Districts.

Je erson County Treasurer’s

Scarano

O ce uses a third-party vendor to collect property taxes online. e third-party vendor charges a vendor or “convenience” fee for their services. e fee goes directly to the vendor, not the Je erson County government. I have been able to negotiate a lower fee for credit card payments online. e credit card fee has been 2.5% of the property tax due, and now is 2.35% of property tax due.

ird-party online payment fees for property taxes (2023): Credit Card – 2.35% of property tax due (was 2.5%)