Arapahoe County still has property tax caps in place under the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR) and the 5.5% Annual Mill Levy Cap (CRS 29-1-301).
County Commissioners were poised last summer to refer a county tax increase or de-TABOR to the 2023 ballot. Voter sentiment at that time reflected that taxpayers were in no mood to pay higher taxes.
Additionally, controversial Proposition HH was set for the ballot which the county commissioners feared would result in voter tax increase fatigue.
The Arapahoe County Commissioners chose to hold off on a referred measure in 2023 and wait for the 2024 election.
Not even waiting until the last election was over, the county commissioners requested bids for strategic political consulting services on October 27, 2023.
Five strategist firms responded to Arapahoe County’s request for political persuasion proposals.
The bid responses are listed below.
The contract for $156,250 was awarded to Public Alignment Communication. As of January 5, 2024 the contract was awaiting signatures.
Political Consultant Contract
$156,250
The commissioners have stated they need more revenue to keep up with growth. The Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights allows local governments like a county to grow by inflation + local growth (construction) so it’s unclear why the commissioners say growth is the reason they need more tax revenue when TABOR’s formula accounts for that.
You can reach out to the county commissioners by email, phone, or speak during public comment.