Contact: Ingrid K. Grueter
Clerk and Recorder – 970-429-2708
September 10, 2024
(Aspen, CO) Local election officials are now collecting comments from the public detailing the pros and cons of five ballot tax issues in the Pitkin County General Election, Nov. 5. The comments collected from the public will be published in the TABOR (Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights) Notice and mailed to all voters 30 days before this November’s election.
“The Clerk and Recorder Office is required by the Colorado Constitution to publish a TABOR Notice for ballot tax issues,” said Pitkin County Clerk and Recorder, Ingrid K. Grueter. “Any elector registered in each of the districts who wishes to submit a pro or con statement regarding the five financial issues on this year’s ballot may submit their comments to the Designated Election Official (DEO) of each district. The submitted comments will be included in the published TABOR Notice,” Grueter said.
Local tax issues on the November ballot come from the following two jurisdictions, and comments should be emailed to the designated election official (DEO) of each district as indicated below:
Only registered voters residing in the political subdivision and eligible to vote on the issues may submit comments on the issue, and comments must include a signature and an address where the signer is registered to vote. The deadline for written comments for the TABOR Notice shall be filed by noon on Friday, Sept 20. TABOR Notices will be mailed to all registered voters no later than Friday, Oct. 4.
For more Pitkin County election information, including a soon-to-be-posted sample ballot with the text of all ballot races and measures, go to www.pitkinvotes.com.
The Pitkin County Ballot Issues read as follows:
Pitkin County Ballot Issue 1A: Affordable and Workforce Housing Mill Levy
SHALL PITKIN COUNTY TAXES BE INCREASED $8,543,345.97 ANNUALLY (FIRST FULL FISCAL YEAR DOLLAR INCREASE, FOR COLLECTION IN 2025) AND BY SUCH AMOUNTS AS ARE GENERATED THEREAFTER FROM
AN ANNUAL AD VALOREM PROPERTY TAX MILL LEVY IMPOSED AT A RATE OF 1.5 MILLS FOR NOT MORE THAN TWENTY FIVE YEARS, TO BE USED FOR AFFORDABLE AND ATTAINABLE HOUSING PURPOSES INCLUDING, BUT NOT LIMITED TO:
* ATTRACTING AND RETAINING ESSENTIAL WORKERS FOR CRITICAL COMMUNITY SERVICES, SUCH AS EMERGENCY RESPONSE, TRANSIT, ROAD AND BRIDGE, HEALTHCARE, ADULT AND CHILD WELFARE, TEACHING AND CHILDCARE, BY CONSTRUCTING, ACQUIRING, PRESERVING, AND OPERATING AFFORDABLE HOUSING;
* PARTNERING ON HOUSING PROGRAMS WITH NONPROFITS, GOVERNMENTAL ENTITIES, LOCAL BUSINESSES, HOUSING TRUSTS, AND PRIVATE ORGANIZATIONS TO GENERATE AFFORDABLE RENTAL OR OWNERSHIP HOUSING;
* BUYING DEED RESTRICTIONS ON FREE MARKET HOUSING TO PERMANENTLY CONVERT EXISTING HOUSING INTO WORKFORCE HOUSING;
* CREATING A CAPITAL RESERVE MAINTENANCE FUND TO PRESERVE AND IMPROVE EXISTING AFFORDABLE HOUSING;
* REDUCING HOMELESSNESS IMPACTS ON PUBLIC AGENCIES BY DEVELOPING TRANSITIONAL HOUSING, SUPPORTIVE HOUSING, AND HOUSING STABILITY SERVICES;
* PRIORITIZING SUCH HOUSING IN AREAS CONSISTENT WITH EXISTING EMPLOYMENT, SERVICES, AND FACILITIES TO PROTECT RURAL CHARACTER;
AND SHALL THE COUNTY BE ALLOWED TO COLLECT, RETAIN AND SPEND THE REVENUES FROM SUCH TAX AND THE INTEREST EARNINGS THEREON AS A VOTER-APPROVED REVENUE CHANGE WITHIN THE MEANING OF ARTICLE X, SECTION 20 OF THE COLORADO CONSTITUTION AND ABOVE ANNUAL LIMITS WHICH MIGHT OTHERWISE APPLY OR BE PROPOSED, INCLUDING AS AN APPROVED EXCEPTION TO THE LIMITATIONS SET FORTH IN SECTION 29-1-301 OF THE COLORADO REVISED STATUTES?
Pitkin County Ballot Issue 1B: County Solid Waste Center Bonds
WITH NO INCREASE IN ANY COUNTY TAX OR TAX RATE, SHALL PITKIN COUNTY DEBT BE INCREASED BY UP TO $22 MILLION, WITH A MAXIMUM REPAYMENT COST OF UP TO $37 MILLION, FOR THE PURPOSE OF FINANCING THE COSTS OF CONSTRUCTING AND EQUIPPING AN EXPANSION TO THE COUNTY SOLID WASTE CENTER, BY THE ISSUANCE OF REVENUE BONDS PAYABLE FROM AND SECURED BY A PLEDGE OF THE REVENUES OF THE COUNTY'S SOLID WASTE CENTER FUND, WHICH BONDS SHALL BEAR INTEREST, BE SUBJECT TO REDEMPTION, WITH OR WITHOUT PREMIUM, BE ISSUED, DATED, AND SOLD AT SUCH TIME OR TIMES, AT SUCH PRICES (AT, ABOVE OR BELOW PAR) AND IN SUCH MANNER, IN ONE OR MORE
SERIES, AND CONTAIN SUCH TERMS, NOT INCONSISTENT HEREWITH, AS THE BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS MAY DETERMINE?
City of Aspen Ballot Issue 2A: Extension of Real Estate Transfer Tax
SHALL THE CITY OF ASPEN'S EXISTING 1.0% REAL ESTATE TRANSFER TAX, WHICH IS SCHEDULED TO EXPIRE ON DECEMBER 31, 2040, BE EXTENDED THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2060; AND SHALL THE REVENUES FROM SUCH REAL ESTATE TRANSFER TAX AND THE EARNINGS ON SUCH REVENUES BE AS A VOTER-APPROVED REVENUE CHANGE THAT THE CITY MAY COLLECT, RETAIN AND EXPEND WITHOUT LIMITATION UNDER ARTICLE X, SECTION 20 OF THE COLORADO CONSTITUTION (TABOR) OR ANY OTHER LAW?
City of Aspen Ballot Issue 2B: Extension of Existing 0.45% Sales Tax Affordable Housing and Day Care
SHALL THE CITY OF ASPEN'S EXISTING 0.45% SALES TAX FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING AND DAY CARE, WHICH IS SCHEDULED TO EXPIRE ON DECEMBER 31, 2040, BE EXTENDED THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2060; AND SHALL THE REVENUES FROM SUCH SALES TAXES AND THE EARNINGS THEREON BE COLLECTED, RETAINED AND SPENT AS A VOTER-APPROVED REVENUE CHANGE WITHOUT LIMITATION UNDER ARTICLE X, SECTION 20 OF THE COLORADO CONSTITUTION (TABOR) OR ANY OTHER LAW?
City of Aspen Ballot Issue 2C: Imposition of a Use Tax on Motor Vehicles
WITHOUT IMPOSING ANY NEW TAX, SHALL CITY OF ASPEN AMEND ITS MUNICIPAL CODE TO RECATEGORIZE THE TAXES CURRENTLY IMPOSED ON AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES SOLD, REGISTERED AND USED IN THE CITY, CURRENTLY 2.4%, TO BE A USE TAX ON THE SAME TRANSACTIONS, AND IMPOSED AT A LOWER RATE OF 2.1%;
AND MAY THE REVENUES OF SUCH USE TAX BE USED BY THE CITY FOR THE MAINTENANCE OF ROADS AND BRIDGES AND OTHER TRANSIT RELATED INFRASTRUCTURE; PROVIDED THAT IF THIS BALLOT QUESTION IS NOT APPROVED BY THE VOTERS, THE CITY SHALL CONTINUE TO IMPOSE ITS EXISTING SALES TAX ON AUTOMOTIVE VEHICLES AT THE EXISTING SALES TAX RATE;
AND SHALL THE CITY BE AUTHORIZED TO COLLECT, KEEP AND SPEND THE REVENUES FROM SUCH TAX AND ANY INVESTMENT INCOME THEREFROM NOTWITHSTANDING THE LIMITS OF ARTICLE X, SECTION 20 OF THE COLORADO CONSTITUTION?