Watch VideoEl Paso County lowers property tax rate
Story By: David Tauchen
Source: KOAA
Property in El Paso County is expected to be more valuable, according to the county assessor. It's partly why El Paso County Commissioner Douglas Bruce says the county would have collected too much revenue from property tax next year, more than allowed under the Colorado TABOR Amendment.
Bruce wrote the law back in 1990's. It forces local government to return excess revenue to the tax payer. "You can't set a tax rate that collects illegal revenue. That's illegal right away," said Bruce.
Bruce says it was his persuasion that influenced a 4-1 vote to permanenty set the property tax rate at 7.514, down from 7.710. The new rate would mean $1.9 million less for the county each year.
"It was a great victory for the tax payers," said Bruce.
El Paso County Commissioner Sallie Clark voted against lowering the property tax rate. "We're continuing to to dig ourselves in deeper and deeper," said Clark. She raised concern as the county faces a budget shortfall.
"We're currently looking at closing county buildings. We reducing budgets to our sheriff, our district attorney," said Clark.
Clark claims the tax cut would do a disservice to the people of El Paso County.
"I opposed it because I felt that, what may look like a short term gain for the citizens is going to have long term effects that are negative," said Clark.
Last week the City of Colorado Springs faced a similar debate, but chose not lower property tax rates. The city attorney determined it was legal for the city to over-collect and return the money to the tax payer.
