Studies show Colorado property taxes are “extremely low.” So why do they feel so high?
The disconnect has put Colorado policymakers in a bind as they try to come up with promised reforms to the state’s property tax system
Olivia Sun/The Colorado Sun via Report for America
Over the past year, property taxes have dominated Colorado’s state politics like rarely before.
Public outcry over a 40% jump in homes’ taxable values spawned a multi-million dollar ballot fight, a special legislative session and a bipartisan commission to study tax relief for homeowners. And there’s more to come, with a number of property tax measures vying for voter approval on the November 2024 ballot.
There’s just one detail that’s difficult to square with the political panic: Study after study from researchers across the political spectrum shows that Colorado’s property taxes aren’t all that high. In reality, they’re close to the lowest in the entire country.
They’re “extremely low,” says Sen. Chris Hansen, D-Denver, who chairs the study committee. “I think you get the rapid rate of change and it makes it look like it’s — in quotes — ‘out of control.’ “
Read more from Brian Eason at ColoradoSun.com
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