Colorado
Several states –including Alaska, Colorado, Montana, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oregon and Wyoming – ban or restrict paying people who collect signatures on a ballot initiative, referendum or recall petition based on the number of signatures they collect. Payment-per-signature allows citizens greater certainty in judging the cost of a petition effort. Moreover, in states that have passed such bans, the cost of successfully completing a petition drive has risen considerably, sometimes more than doubling.
In 1992, Colorado voters approved the Taxpayer Bill of Rights initiative at the ballot box. This initiative capped the ability of the state government to raise taxes above a certain level. The Colorado Taxpayer Bill of Rights is now coming under attack as Governor Bill Ritter looks outside the state government for support in getting a reform measure on the ballot in 2011.
Gov. Bill Ritter said last Thursday that he is working with groups outside the Capitol to craft a 2011 ballot initiative that would eliminate aspects of the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights. Speaking to members of the Colorado Alliance for Retired Americans ”” an arm of the AFL-CIO union ”” Ritter explained how Colorado’s constitution makes it difficult for lawmakers to prevent severe budget cuts to departments such as human services and public safety.
A judge Wednesday rejected an effort by anti-tax activist Douglas Bruce to overturn the wording on a ballot measure that will be decided by Colorado Springs voters in November. Fourth Judicial District Judge G. David Miller also refused to force the city to send a 500-word commentary from Bruce to accompany the ballot measure, now known as Ballot Issue 300.
Over 7,000 petition signatures for the Extraterrestrial Affairs Commission ballot initiative were filed with the Denver Elections Division Friday, September 4. Of these, 3,973 valid signatures of registered Denver voters must be validated to qualify the initiative for the Denver election ballot. The proposed ordinance states that the commission will be funded only by “grant, gifts, and donations” and not with Denver taxpayer money.
When you get your mail-in ballot next month, you’ll vote on two city issues. One, asking you to raise property taxes to help fund the city budget, the other, a new initiative to eliminate your stormwater enterprise fee. The ballot initiative submitted by Douglas Bruce last week received certification on Tuesday. You’ll now vote on whether or not to get rid of your stormwater enterprise fee, along with other enterprise payments in the city. Bruce needed 11,470 valid signatures to get his proposal on the ballot. Of the 23,650 signatures he submitted 15,483 were accepted, with 7,167
The Town of Cedaredge is moving forward with a ballot initiative for the November election. The ballot question will be asking the voters in Cedaredge if the town can use funds collected since the 2007 election, when voters approved a half percent sales tax increase, to fund road and street repairs within the town limits. “We can do so much more with that money if we are able to utilize that fund toward gaining grant and loans against those funds,” said Mayor Tony Sluski.
The quality of life in Colorado Springs is up to you. That’s the message behind a campaign that began Thursday morning, pushing for a November ballot measure. Maintaining city parks will be one of the first things to go, according to Colorado Springs City Councilwoman Jan Martin and others in support of the Worth Fighting For campaign. “It’s really going to be all about the citizens having the right to vote on what kind of city they want,” says Martin, “and the quality of life they choose.” Martin and campaign supporters say city services as we know them are in jeopardy.
A measure increasing the number of terms Broomfield’s top prosecutor can serve will be on the ballot this November, but Broomfield voters will never see it. The Adams County Board of Commissioners on Wednesday voted 2-1 to ask Adams County residents to allow all of the county’s elected officials, including the district attorney, to serve three terms. Currently they can only serve two terms. What Adams County voters decide doesn’t effect Broomfield, except for the fact the two counties are part of the 17th Judicial District.
City Clerk Kathryn Young started an expedited verification Wednesday of thousands of signatures on petitions submitted by anti-tax crusader Douglas Bruce, avoiding the need for a costly special election. “I work for nine people, and I was directed to do this,” Young said, referring to the nine-member Colorado Springs City Council. “I follow direction.” The measure will be on the November ballot if Young determines Bruce collected 11,470 signatures of registered city voters.
After attempting several approaches to address inconsistencies with the Vail Town Charter as well as certain conflicts with state election laws, the Vail Town Council voted last week to deny approval of an ordinance that would have placed a measure before voters on the Nov. 3 ballot as it relates to council terms and term limit provisions.
Backers of a proposal that would increase fees for developers in the city have announced that they will stop their efforts to get the issue on the ballot this fall, citing concerns about potential challenges to the legislation. Aurora residents Duane Senn and Arnie Schultz said this week that they are abandoning their efforts get a proposal on the city ballot that would raise Aurora’s development impact fee from its current sum of $1,204 to $4,041.
The Colorado Springs City Council today will take a formal vote on whether to place two measures on the November ballot. One of the proposals, sponsored by Councilwoman Jan Martin, would raise the city’s property tax by 10 mills over five years, with five mills in the first year. The other measure, sponsored by Councilman Tom Gallagher, would overhaul the local Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, leaving only the portion requiring voter approval of taxes. The two proposed ballot measures seem destined for the November ballot.
Colorado abortion foes are launching another campaign to amend the state constitution to give legal protections to human embryos. Supporters said Tuesday they’ll begin collecting signatures to get it on next year’s ballot. The measure is often called a “personhood amendment” because it grants embryos the legal status of a person.
Two proposed ballot initiatives for November – one to raise property taxes and the other to tweak the local Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights – will be the subject of discussion and possibly heated debate during today’s meeting of the Colorado Springs City Council. The first proposal is being sponsored by Councilwoman Jan Martin, who wants to ask voters to increase the property tax mill levy by 10 mills over five years.