Colorado’s TABOR (Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights) limits the annual percentage growth in government tax revenue by requiring voters to approve virtually all proposed tax increases. I believe this powerful right also carries an implicit responsibility to ensure state and local governments have enough funding to provide the services necessary to make our county the good, responsible, compassionate place we call home, services that include public safety, infrastructure, family support, wildfire/flood response and health care.
Unfortunately, for some time now, the cost to provide these services has risen faster than the “basket of consumer goods” and “population growth” components allowed by TABOR. Our 2% county sales tax rate hasn’t increased since 1982. In the 1990s and 2000s, oil and gas development generated a gusher of tax revenue for the county, which postponed the reckoning, but that source has since declined by more than 60%. Please join me in addressing this ongoing funding gap by voting “yes” on ballot issue 1A.
Tim Miller
Durango
