You may have heard about the lawsuit Douglas County Commissioners joined against the State of Colorado, and you may be wondering why.
Watch this video to hear directly from your elected leaders about why they joined this lawsuit and stand opposed to Senate Bill 23-303 and the resulting Proposition HH.
The lawsuit filed against the State of Colorado challenges Senate Bill 23-303 and Proposition HH due to single-subject and “clear title” violations. Joining the original plaintiffs, the Commissioners and Douglas County seek that the bill should be declared void and unconstitutional, precluding its implementation and enforcement; or, as an alternative, that the ballot title should be corrected “to provide a clear, detailed and politically neutral explanation of its contents.”
The lawsuit alleges that the bill title does not clearly express the subject of the bill and is misleading; that Proposition HH title does not clearly express the subject of the ballot measure; the ballot measure does not have a single subject; and that both violate the state’s single subject rule for legislation and clear intent provisions in violation of the Colorado Constitution.
The Board also contends that the measure is not clear, because it does not provide the actual rates for property tax changes or projections for reductions in revenue.
Specifically, the bill and ballot titles both fail to include any numbers concerning the property tax assessment rates, and do not clearly inform voters that the property tax assessment reduction is minimal.
Colorado law and precedent require that voters be informed of significant changes to law and of relevant numbers when they are asked to vote on a ballot measure.
Douglas County invites all property owners to stay engaged during the many scheduled community conversations via live town hall meetings yet to come. For more information, visit us at douglas.co.us and search live town halls; email at [email protected]; or call the Board at 303-660-7401.