Screaming Liberty’s Election Breakdown

Voters across the state will be, hopefully, dropping off ballots or heading to the polls Tuesday to weigh in on a slew of statewide and local races, which could provide clues about the national mood ahead of 2024.

With less that 700,000 Coloradans returning their ballots as of the end of Thursday, every vote in going to matter. Any race could be decided, not by thousands but by hundreds of votes.

The expected low turnout only amplifies the race. This is less than 17% of the total 3.9 million active voters in the state.

The choices voters make in 2023 will reshape communities and impact family budgets for years to come.

The ballot this election features a billion-dollar rewrite of the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, 75 local measures, and dozens of high-stakes races for mayor and school board.

Here are the ELECTION NIGHT HEARTBREAKERS to watch on Tuesday November 7th.

PROPOSITION HH: A confusing attempt to at the least confuse voters, at the extreme, deceive them. At one point, even Kyle Clark had to chastise the pro-prop HH campaign for their “deceptive ads.

Prop HH is the Governor’s and the Democrat led legislature poorly camouflaged attempt to take control of Coloradan’s TABOR refunds without addressing the real issue of property tax relief.

Proposition HH is the latest attempt by Gov. Jared Polis and Democrats to erode TABOR's spending protections and provide more money for state budget priorities. This time, they paired it with a decrease in property tax rates that aims to soften the 40% average increase coming next year.

READ MORE:

• Proposition HH: A Deceptive Bailout for Politicians at the Expense of Coloradans

• Coloradans are projected to receive slightly lower taxpayer refunds next year than anticipated

• Fact check: Would Proposition HH really eliminate Coloradans’ taxpayer refunds?

• POLL: Do you support Proposition HH?

• Proposition HH: The Taxpayer Dilemma

• The More Voters Know – The More They Hate “Prop HH’

• THE EXPLAINER: Colorado Ballots Have Dropped

• An All-Star Debate Over Prop HH

• Colorado Democrats Betray Principles by Backing Proposition HH and Proposition II

• Supporters of Proposition HH Launch $1 Million Ad Blitz

• Wall Street Journal warns Coloradans about hidden tax hikes in Prop HH

• THE TRUTH ABOUT Colorado PROP HH

• TABOR Under Attack as Hard-Earned Money Slips Away

• The Secret Ties Between Polis and the Conservative Economist

• NFIB Launches Issue Campaign to Stop Prop. HH

• Spending ramps up on Colorado's Proposition HH campaigns

• Berndt: Proposition HH hits younger Coloradans hard

• Republican Lawmakers Explain Taxpayers Don’t Have To Give-Up Their Refunds

PROPOSITION II: The problem is a simple one. The state overtaxed Coloradans, and they don’t want to give the money back.  Democrats have dressed up Prop II saying they will use the over tax to fund tuition-free preschool but, the fact remains, Coloradans were overcharged and are due a refund.

Under Prop II, the state seeks to keep $23.7 million in excess tax revenue collected from tobacco and nicotine products.

The over tax is a result of the passing of Proposition EE three years ago, where Colorado voters approved increases in the prices and taxes for tobacco and nicotine products. If Prop. II fails, these future increases would be negated, and the taxes on these products would decrease.

READ MORE:

• Proposition II: Ask Voters to Let Government Keep Overtaxing

• Colorado Voters to Deciding on Keeping Excess Tobacco Tax Revenue

• Colorado Democrats Betray Principles by Backing Proposition HH and Proposition II

• Proposition II: Colorado would be able to keep all the tobacco, nicotine tax revenue it generates to pay for preschool

AURORA: Colorado’s third-largest city may have the highest profile election in the state. Mayor Mike Coffman, a former Republican congressman, is seeking re-election as he plots a referendum that would make his position as mayor even more powerful.

Coffman, who led a conservative takeover of the council, faces one of his most vocal opponents, Juan Marcano, a progressive who in the past has aligned himself with Democratic Socialists of America.

READ MORE:

• Aurora Conservatives Fight to Maintain Majority

• The partisan proxy battle for political control of Aurora has cost nearly $2 million so far

• ENDORSEMENT: Gardner, Scott, Hancock, Lawson, Bergan for Aurora council

• Dump truck crashes into ballot box near Aurora church, sparking community concerns about voting rights

DENVER SCHOOL BOARD: Mayor Mike Johnston is flexing his political muscle five months after his big win and asking voters to pick his favorite candidates for Denver school board.

Johnston is a former educator and his endorsement of the reform slate of candidates (not those backed by the local teacher’s union) is the first major test of his influence.

The big question here is, Have Denver parent had enough and are they willing to make the change Johnston advocates?

READ MORE:

• Denver Voters Demand Safety: Shocking Survey Reveals Majority Doubt School Security, Urgent Call for Police Officers

• Colorado's Dirtiest Campaign

• Armstrong: Denver Public Schools celebrates lowering achievement bar

• Mike Johnston Wants to Remake the Denver School Board

• Here’s Why DPS Thinks ‘Separate but Equal’ Works

• DPS Questionable Settlement Agreement with Troubled Board Member

• Spending in Denver school board election tops $1.3 million

• Denver School Board Considers Quadrupling Members' Pay to $33,000 in Controversial Proposal

LOCAL, LOCAL, LOCAL: For tens of thousands of Coloradan’s local ballot measures will have the greatest impact on their lives.

Denver, Boulder, Fort Collins, and more than a dozen other municipalities across the state are seeking voter approval for tax hikes to pay for services ranging from preschool and public safety to transit and affordable housing.

Sterling and Lochbuie are asking approval for marijuana retail cities within their limits nearly a decade after it first became legal.

Voters in at least 70 cities and towns across Colorado will consider local candidates and ballot measures as part of the November 7th general election.

At least 20 municipalities will vote solely on candidates, while many more will vote on initiated and referred ballot issues and questions.

More than 75 municipal ballot measures are being considered across the state. Ballot issues and questions being considered by voters

Sales and use tax increases will be on the ballot in:

Brighton – for supporting public safety, including additional police officers, and equipment

• Castle Pines – for street improvements and maintenance

• Cripple Creek – for continuation and expansion of vocational education programs

• Fort Collins – for maintaining and upgrading parks and recreation facilities and the transit system, and for programs related to pollution reduction, renewable energy, and sustainability

• Fountain – to expand the boundaries of the Pikes Peak Rural Transportation Authority to include the city and to contribute funds through a tax increase

• La Junta – for the general fund

• Louisville – for acquisition and maintenance of open space, to

• mitigate fire risk on such lands, and to extend a 2012 sales tax to be divided between separate parks and open space funds

• Loveland – for fire protection services • Rifle – for street and sidewalk

• improvements and maintenance

• Boulder is requesting an extension of its sales and use tax to fund arts, culture, and heritage, as well as the general fund.

• Frederick is seeking authority to utilize a pre-existing sales and use tax that helps fund open space, to also fund

• the construction, acquisition, and maintenance of parks, trails, and related amenities.

Property tax mill levy increases will be on the ballot in:

• Castle Pines – for park, recreation, trail, and open space amenities

• Fort Collins – for funding affordable housing

• Golden – for capital needs and operational costs of the Golden Fire Department

• Longmont is asking residents to approve three property and sales tax increases. One ballot measure seeks a mill levy increase for a new library and a sales

• increase to fund library maintenance and operations. A second measure seeks a mill levy increase for construction of an arts and entertainment center and a sales tax increase to fund the center’s maintenance and operations. A third ballot measure seeks a mill levy increase to fund construction of multiple recreation facilities, as well as affordable housing in partnership with the YMCA, and a sales tax increase to fund the maintenance and operation of one of those facilities.

Lodging taxes will be considered in:

• Pueblo – for affordable childcare programs

• Ridgway – for tourism promotion, economic development, affordable

• and workforce housing, childcare, and programs to facilitate home ownership

• Salida – solely levied on short-term rentals for funding affordable housing, in addition to imposing an annual license fee

Other tax issues include:

• Avon – a use tax on construction materials to fund any municipal purpose

• Steamboat Springs – a question asking residents to allocate revenues from the city’s preexisting public accommodations tax to improve amenities that will enhance community identity, environmental sustainability, and economic health, to acquire property for parks and open space, and to preserve the city’s natural resources

• Wheat Ridge – seeking authority to increase debt up to $75 million and approval to extend the city’s sales and use tax to fund sidewalk, bike lane, and street improvements

REVENUE RETENTION

The following municipalities will be requesting authority to retain and spend all revenues collected from previously approved taxes:

• Golden – to retain and expend all revenues from the 2022 lodging tax

• for addressing visitor impacts and funding community projects and capital improvements

• Littleton – to retain and expend all revenues from the 2022 sales and use tax for street and sidewalk maintenance and traffic solutions

• Telluride – to retain and expend all revenues from the 2021 lodging tax to fund tourism, manage the effects of tourism, and fund other town purposes such as affordable housing and transportation

The following municipalities will be requesting authority to retain and spend all revenues collected from all sources:

• Loveland — for a 12-year period to fund police and fire, streets, parks, and affordable housing construction and maintenance

• Idaho Springs – for 2023 and each subsequent year

• Colorado Springs is requesting authority to retain $4.75 million of 2022 revenues for acquiring property and constructing a training facility for the Colorado Springs Police Department.

HOME RULE

• Erie voters will decide whether to adopt a proposed home rule charter and, if approved, whether to amend the new charter’s provision on council compensation.

• In Superior, voters will decide whether to form a home rule charter commission.

GOVERNANCE

• Las Animas residents will decide in separate questions whether to make the city clerk and city treasurer appointive rather than elected positions.

• Mt. Crested Butte is asking voters to extend consecutive term limits for councilmembers to three terms.

MARIJUANA

• Sterling is asking residents to authorize medical and retail marijuana, and a separate contingent question authorizing a 5% tax on retail marijuana sales.

• Lochbuie is asking residents whether they support marijuana sales.

ELECTION CHANGES

• Evans is asking voters to move their regular election from April in even- numbered years to November in even- numbered years.

• Westminster is asking voters whether the city should propose electing some or all councilmembers from geographic wards rather than at-large.

CHARTER AMENDMENTS

Several charter amendments are on the ballot in home rule municipalities across the state.

• Boulder – amendments relating to signatures on nominating petitions, timing requirements relating to the powers of ini- tiative, referendum, and recall, referring to state law for initiated charter amendments

• Commerce City – allowing publishing of legal notices on the city’s website

• Craig – amendments to change the makeup of city council to select a council president from among the council in lieu of an elected mayor and to authorize the city manager to grant revocable permits for franchises and public utilities

• Dacono – amendments requiring council to appoint and remove appointed city officers by resolution and setting city manager employment expectations, incorporating an “Open Government Policy” for the council, amending provisions relating to new councilmembers taking office, and the appointment of a mayor pro-tem

• Englewood – amendments relating

• to provisions regarding initiative, referendum, and recall of elected officials, authority to approve subdivision plats, and authority to approve contracts and land conveyances

• Fort Collins – amending qualifications for elective office to replace the general prohibition against convicted felons holding elective office, clarifying language around the referendum and petition process, and removing residency requirements for certain city employees from the charter

• Loveland – prohibiting taxes or fees on the retail sale of human food for home consumption, requiring voter ratification of certain urban renewal plans

• Parker – amendments concerning powers of the council, organization of municipal government, swearing in of police officers, and gifts and donations

• Steamboat Springs – extending the deadline for the city’s independent audit

• Telluride – conforming the charter’s defi- nition of “qualified elector” with state law

• Westminster – amendments clarifying budget and contracting procedures, allowing publishing of legal notices on city website

OTHER ISSUES

• Boulder – an initiated ordinance asking

• voters if the city should prioritize the removal of certain prohibited items on city property near school property or sidewalks

• Brush and Sterling – asking voters whether keeping backyard chickens should be permitted

• Commerce City – asking voters whether the council should authorize keeping chickens, ducks, and bees in backyards

• Dacono – requesting to be included in the High Plains Library District

• Dolores – authorizing the publication of ordinances by title only, authorizing a property donation to Dolores Fire Protection District

• Steamboat Springs – increasing council compensation, allocating 75% of short- term rental tax revenues through 2042

• to the Yampa Valley Housing Authority for affordable and attainable housing at Brown Ranch

HOUSING

• Municipalities across the state are seeking funding for affordable and workforce housing initiatives in a variety

• of ways. The ballot measures highlighted below are explained earlier in this article.

• Ridgway and Salida are asking voters to increase their lodging tax while Telluride is asking for authority to retain and expend all revenues from the town’s 2021 lodging tax, all to fund affordable housing, among other objectives.

• Fort Collins is asking voters to increase property tax while Longmont is asking voters to increase property and sales tax, both to support affordable housing.

• Steamboat Springs is asking voters

• to allocate 75% of the city’s short-term rental tax revenues to the Yampa Valley Housing Authority through 2042 for affordable and attainable housing at Brown Ranch.