Douglas County News Press January 25, 2024

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WEEK OF JANUARY 25, 2024

VOLUME 122 | ISSUE 9

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Douglas County’s steps to lower property taxes

INSIDE THIS ISSUE

SON HELD IN FATHER’S DEATH P6

A vast view of homes from Bluffs Regional Park and Trail in Lone Tree in October 2022. BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

As homeowners around the Denver metro area face steep hikes in their property tax bills, officials in Douglas County are working to give back some of the money they expect to collect. “We are saying: ‘We are not asking you to give us a windfall,’” Commissioner Lora Thomas told Colorado Community Media. Local taxes are in the spotlight after homeowners around the Denver area saw their home values jumped by shocking amounts. In Douglas County, residential properties faced increases

between 30% and 60%. With values surging, property taxes across the metro area are expected to do the same. Douglas County’s commissioners, all Republicans, have been looking for ways to ease the burden on taxpayers. They have decided to refund some of what they collect, sending homeowners $190 back on average. A homeowner’s property tax bill in Douglas County can be several thousand dollars. So, the county’s relief on its own may not make a huge dent for some homeowners. But the county’s leaders felt that the government’s budget didn’t need the

VOICES: 12 | LIFE: 14 | CALENDAR: 17

PHOTO BY TAYLER SHAW

boost. “We have tightened our belt as tight as we can without reducing services to the residents, and keeping them safe,” Thomas said. Douglas County’s tax action comes after a flurry of initiatives, from Proposition HH, which voters killed, to a plan from lawmakers to revive some elements of HH in a special session at the state Capitol last year, to other decisions that affected the tax landscape – and a lawsuit in the mix to add another potential challenge. Here’s a look at how it all adds up for homeowners.

CASTLE ROCK NIXES MOBILE TOWER P7

TIPS FOR DRIVING IN THE SNOW P18

SEE TAXES, P2

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