COLORADO SPRINGS, COLO. -- The November election is just over two months away, and a lot of confusion remains about Amendments 60, 61, and Proposition 101.
The three initiatives all deal with slashing taxes and limiting government.
Amendment 60 deals with Colorado property taxes. It proposes limiting how property taxes are raised and reversing recent laws which increased taxes. Additionally, it proposes cutting mill levies in half by the year 2020.
Supporters of the amendment said the measure would only apply to school property tax rates, and would replace all the tax relief with state aid. Opponents said the initiative would be devastating for school districts who would lose more than a billion dollars in funding each year.
Amendment 61 calls for prohibiting borrowing by state or local government and would require voter approval for future loans.
Supporters of the measure say it will force government to operate more efficiently and cut "bloated spending." Opponents on the other hand say 61 eliminates Colorado's ability to build or expand schools, roads, hospitals, and a variety of other infrastructure.
Finally, Proposition 101 would revise the current vehicle, income, and telecommunications taxes and fees. In essence it would cut the state income tax, cut fees on phone bills, and lower the cost of registering a vehicle to $10.
Supporters said Prop 101 is about tax relief, while opponents said it would eliminate a major funding source for road and bridge construction across the state.
In the end both sides said the potential impacts of the initiatives on Coloradans would be tremendous.
"This is not proposals put forth by people advocating limited government, the proponents of this are advocating fiscal anarchy, this will mean an elimination of essential government services," Colorado Attorney General John Suthers said.
Campaign Coordinator Natalie Menten clarified who would be getting the money.
"In total all of these measures would be a two percent decrease in government, it is not a decrease in spending, it is a change of who spends the money, if people have more money in their pockets they are going to go out and buy more things, and that puts more money in the government's pocket," Menten said.
Officials with Coloradans for Responsible Reform say anti-tax crusader Doug Bruce has been linked to the three initiatives, although at what capacity we do not know.
For more on the initiatives from opponents click here.
For more on the initiatives from proponents click here.
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