Lakewood To Consider Special Vote To Lift TABOR Tax Caps

LAKEWOOD, CO – The Lakewood City Council is asking for public input on a possible special election to lift Taxpayers Bill of Rights (TABOR) property tax caps and use $12.5 million that would otherwise be refunded to property owners in Lakewood for roads, police services and updated parks and open space.

As the city's property values have boomed, tax revenue collected is higher than usual, and under state TABOR rules, the surplus must be refunded to property owners. The average home owner of a $350,000 home would be refunded $119, the city said. The average business owner with a $1 million property would be refunded $1,366. Renters would not receive a refund. In the proposed special election, voters could chose to forego those refunds to pay for additional city services.

The city council will vote Aug. 27 on whether a special question will be on the November ballot to lift TABOR tax caps and allow the city's use of surplus property tax revenue.

Lakewood voters have lifted the TABOR limits on the city’s budget four previous times, in 1994, 1999, 2005 and 2007, according to the city.

"In those instances, the voters lifted the TABOR limits for a specific project, a specific time period and for specific kinds of funds the city normally collects," the city's outreach website, Lakewoodtoether.org says. "Those earlier votes didn’t address the ongoing effect that TABOR has on the city’s ability to pay for services to residents."

This time, the vote would be to lift TABOR completely in the City of Lakewood.

City staff and city council members have been discussing the possibility of putting TABOR to a vote since February, when the city council decided it must be a priority to come up with strategies to pay for "community needs."

What are those needs, and would the $12.5 million pay for? The city released a proposed list of expenses, including $4.6 million for beefed-up police services, $4.5 million for updated playgrounds and park improvements and $4.4 million for new traffic signals, turn lanes and sidewalks. (See document below). These are not hard commitments, but just suggestions. The city also seeks citizen input to decide which spending to prioritize.

The city asks for citizen input in the form of a citizen survey. The city council will also hear public comment at meetings on Aug. 13 and Aug. 27, when the vote will take place.

Meanwhile, check out the city's list of frequently asked questions.

Find out more about the proposed Lakewood special ballot initiative at https://www.lakewoodtogether.o...

Image via City of Lakewood

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