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October 2, 2014 VOLU M E 6 | I SS UE 40 | 5 0 ¢
BrightonBanner.com A D A M S C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
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BRIGHTON CELEBRATES HOMECOMING
Emergency ordinance on cyber cafés City puts six-month moratorium in place By Lou Ellen Bromley
bromleyclan@hotmail.com An emergency ordinance was passed Sept. 23 at the Brighton City Council emergency session. Mayor Dick McLean called the meeting so council members could vote on a resolution creating a temporary sixmonth moratorium on cyber cafes. This resolution gives council members the opportunity to determine if regulations should be put into place to govern cyber cafes in Brighton. Cyber cafes are described as storefront business that have computer terminals that allow customers, at a cost, to play slot machine type games and have Internet access time as well as a fee to play. Usually the computer games then dispense a coupon for discounted services or products to the winners. The American Gaming Association has expressed concerns about cyber cafes, Internet Sweepstakes Cafes and Sweepstakes Cafes because they are not licensed by any public agency, do not pay any gaming taxes and are not subject to any criminal background checks. Several states have already have legislation banning cyber cafes, but Colorado failed to pass legislation during the legislative session in the Colorado Senate in 2014. Brighton council members feel the ordinance is necessary in order to give the city government time to investigate cyber cafes and to give the city time to develop and adopt regulations governing cyber cafes in Brighton. They stated it is in the best interest of the Brighton community to determine the legality of these business before allowing any to come into the city. Currently there are no cyber cafes within the city limits.
A hometown tradition continues as the Brighton High School Homecoming Parade travels up Bridge Street. The Brighton Homecoming Parade rolled throught he streets on Sept. 26. The parade was led by School Resource Officer John Grace who oversees the high school. School District 27J Superintendent Chris Fiedler, BHS High School Principal John Biner also headed up the beginning of the parade. The fall sports, community elementary schools, BHS Marching Band were some of the parade entries.
PHOTOS BY MICHELLE BOYER
RIGHT: Students from Southeast Elementary pass out candy along the parade route. The theme of the parade was Candy Land. BELOW: League of United Latin American Citizens in the parade. POSTAL ADDRESS
BRIGHTON BANNER (USPS 290)
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P L EA SE R ECYC L E T H I S C OPY
Increased revenue means refunds on way TABOR-mandated money expected to come back around in 2016 By Vic Vela
vvela@coloradocommunitymedia.com The debate over voters’ wisdom in backing the 1992 Taxpayer Bill of Rights resumed last week after it was made apparent that Coloradans can soon expect their first state revenue-related tax refunds in 10 years. State economists told members of the Legislature’s Joint Budget Committee on Sept. 22 that TABOR-mandated refunds are expected to occur in 2016. That’s because increased revenues are expected to exceed TABOR limits. TABOR requires the state to refund money to taxpayers when revenues exceed the combined rate
of inflation and population growth. Supporters of TABOR see the constitutional amendment as a way to reign in overzealous spending by lawmakers during rosy economic times. However, opponents believe the measure has crippled the state and local governments from putting the money to good use. Lawmakers will have to set aside about $130 million in refunds in next year’s budget, followed by even larger refunds the following year, which could reach nearly $400 million. That’s not being taken as good news by Sen. Pat Steadman, D-Denver, the vice chairman of the Joint Budget Committee. Steadman estimates that the refunds would equate to about $11 per taxpayer the first year — money that he believes could be better spent elsewhere. “Frankly I’d rather get our schools to where they ought to be before we start sending refunds to taxpayers,” Steadman said.
“And I think a lot of taxpayers would agree.” Steadman is also frustrated by the possibility of the state having to issue taxpayer refunds on revenue that has been collected through recreational marijuana sales. Unless lawmakers take action, a TABOR technicality would require the state to refund pot dollars that were meant to provide money for school construction. This means that lawmakers will either have to get creative with legislation to prevent that from happening or they will have to ask voters for permission to keep the money — the same voters who supported the notion of retail pot sales tax money funding school construction in the first place. “We’re in a position where we may have to refund the total amount of pot tax we collected in the first year and that’s not what voters had in mind,” Steadman said. “And it’s not my fault, it’s not their fault, it’s TABOR’s Refunds continues on Page 5