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In Colorado, taxpayers have a tremendous amount of control over their own property taxes.
Thanks to the state’s Taxpayers Bill of Rights (TABOR), which stunts the growth of property taxes, those of us who own property in Eagle County shouldn’t expect to see our taxes skyrocket at the same rate as our property values without voter approval.
This year, however, taxpayers’ rights were usurped by Gov. Bill Ritter’s decision to freeze the statewide school district property tax rate. Because Eagle County has enjoyed a significant rise in property values — an average of about 40 percent countywide in the last two years — property owners here saw a spike in their property tax bills.
Not only was Ritter’s move a clear violation of the TABOR Amendment because it effectively raised taxes without voter approval, it didn’t benefit many of the state’s school districts. Funding for the Eagle County School District pretty much stayed the same. That’s because the state determines the amount of money each school district receives every year, then fills in what the districts can’t cover themselves.
What the mill levy freeze did is transfer the burden of funding Eagle County schools to local taxpayers and out of the state’s budget. The result? We paid $8 million more in property taxes to the school district. Meanwhile, the state’s contribution to Eagle County schools dropped by about $8 million.
A lower court ruled earlier this month that Ritter’s move violates TABOR. The Colorado Supreme Court should uphold that ruling when it considers the case and taxpayers across the state, including in Eagle County, should expect tax refunds.
But while we disagree with Ritter’s methods, there’s a lot of merit in the intended result: To reduce the burden on the state to fund local schools and free up funding in the state budget to pay for other things — like the state’s deteriorating transportation system.
The truth is, making local taxpayers more responsible for funding local schools is completely consistent with the intent of TABOR. It makes much more sense to have Eagle County taxpayers — the “customers” of our public schools, after all — decide how much money Eagle County schools should receive.
Getting local school funding out of the state’s hands and into the hands of local voters would let Eagle County determine what kind of public schools we deserve. It would let local voters rein in out-of-control spending or award the kind of funding needed to provide our students a world-class education.
Gov. Ritter deserves to be chastised for violating the state’s own tax laws. But he should pursue changing the way the state funds education by proposing — and placing on a ballot — a measure that would give local voters more control over local schools.
Thanks to the state’s Taxpayers Bill of Rights (TABOR), which stunts the growth of property taxes, those of us who own property in Eagle County shouldn’t expect to see our taxes skyrocket at the same rate as our property values without voter approval.
This year, however, taxpayers’ rights were usurped by Gov. Bill Ritter’s decision to freeze the statewide school district property tax rate. Because Eagle County has enjoyed a significant rise in property values — an average of about 40 percent countywide in the last two years — property owners here saw a spike in their property tax bills.
Not only was Ritter’s move a clear violation of the TABOR Amendment because it effectively raised taxes without voter approval, it didn’t benefit many of the state’s school districts. Funding for the Eagle County School District pretty much stayed the same. That’s because the state determines the amount of money each school district receives every year, then fills in what the districts can’t cover themselves.
What the mill levy freeze did is transfer the burden of funding Eagle County schools to local taxpayers and out of the state’s budget. The result? We paid $8 million more in property taxes to the school district. Meanwhile, the state’s contribution to Eagle County schools dropped by about $8 million.
A lower court ruled earlier this month that Ritter’s move violates TABOR. The Colorado Supreme Court should uphold that ruling when it considers the case and taxpayers across the state, including in Eagle County, should expect tax refunds.
But while we disagree with Ritter’s methods, there’s a lot of merit in the intended result: To reduce the burden on the state to fund local schools and free up funding in the state budget to pay for other things — like the state’s deteriorating transportation system.
The truth is, making local taxpayers more responsible for funding local schools is completely consistent with the intent of TABOR. It makes much more sense to have Eagle County taxpayers — the “customers” of our public schools, after all — decide how much money Eagle County schools should receive.
Getting local school funding out of the state’s hands and into the hands of local voters would let Eagle County determine what kind of public schools we deserve. It would let local voters rein in out-of-control spending or award the kind of funding needed to provide our students a world-class education.
Gov. Ritter deserves to be chastised for violating the state’s own tax laws. But he should pursue changing the way the state funds education by proposing — and placing on a ballot — a measure that would give local voters more control over local schools.
