PARKS & REC

How much do you pay South Suburban?

South Suburban residents currently pay about $8.43 in tax to the district per $1,000 of assessed property value, according to the district’s 2023 budget. This number has increased by a few cents over recent years, with taxpayers paying about $8.37 in 2020, $8.39 in 2021 and $8.40 in 2022.

In November 2019, voters approved Ballot Issue 7A, which authorized the district to adjust its mill levy rate up or down beginning in 2021 and annually thereafter without voter approval.

These adjustments can be made to help offset revenue losses resulting from state-mandated property tax assessment rate reductions, as previously reported by CCM.

Colorado’s residential property tax assessment rate fell to 6.95% from 7.15% in 2021 for property other than muti-family residential property, according to the Colorado General Assembly’s website. The Gallagher Amendment adjusts residential property tax rates downward over time.

Grubb wrote that the higher mill levies do not mean the district is increasing its revenue – instead, the adjusted rates are to prevent a reduction in revenue from previous years. She said recent mill levy increases have been due to the increase in abatements from the counties.

The district’s mill levies are set through a process that begins in

July each year and includes three to six public study sessions, as well as three public hearings at the district’s board meetings, Grubb wrote.

Financial transparency and responsibility

At an April 12 forum, candidate Elizabeth Watson said financial transparency would be one of her main goals if elected.

“I am asking for your vote so that I can be transparent with our information, which includes putting financial information on the back page of the catalogs,” she said.

“There is absolutely no reason that South Suburban in-district people should be guessing at how much they paid in taxes. They should absolutely know.”

Recent annual tax rate information can be found at https:// go.boarddocs.com/co/ssprd/ Board.nsf/vpublic?open and some older tax rate information is available at https://www.ssprd.org/ Reports-Audits-Budgets.

Candidate John Priddy also mentioned financial transparency in his Q&A for CCM.

“Without a doubt, there are improvements we can make to engage a broader electorate about the elections, taxes and the business of the SSPRD district,” Priddy wrote.

In their Q&As, other candidates, including Michael Edwards, Alexis Barrere and Pam Eller mentioned reponsible tax dollar investment and being good stewards of taxpayers’ money.

All ballots for the board of directors election must be cast by 7 p.m. on May 2, either through mail, a drop-off box or in-person.