Property Taxes

What We Believe

Colorado has been in the midst of a property tax crisis since the repeal of the Gallagher Amendment, and for years, the Governor and Legislature have been unable to craft a deep and permanent solution. Throughout the state, in 2023, homeowners saw an average increase of 30 percent, causing deep and painful strain on family budgets.

This property tax crisis has been especially painful in a time of high inflation and particularly devastating for senior citizens and others on fixed incomes. Colorado taxpayers have demanded real tax relief, and Advance Colorado has been on the frontlines fighting for it.

Property Tax Wins for the People

Voters saw through the legislature’s deeply deceptive Proposition HH that would have forced Coloradans to pay for their own tax relief with TABOR refunds – and overwhelmingly shot it down at the ballot in 2023. In 2024, Advance Colorado proposed two initiatives of our own: Initiative #50 and Prop #108. Together, these measures were designed to cut and permanently cap property taxes for home and business owners.

Under threat of these ballot measures, the legislature passed SB24-233 in the 2024 regular session. While this was a step forward, it simply wasn’t enough. As Advance Colorado continued to work for taxpayers the Governor and Legislature came back to the table in August of 2024 to negotiate a deal. They agreed to pass a law guaranteeing a property tax cut and cap in exchange for Advance Colorado pulling the two ballot measures.

During the special session, the legislature passed the agreed-upon legislation, as Advance Colorado refused to allow changes to the bill that would wreck real property tax relief. For the first time in Colorado history, conservatives were able to compel a Democratic near-super majority to provide $1.6 billion in relief for taxpayers.

What We Do

Advance Colorado is the state’s leader in generating policy solutions that will solve Colorado’s property tax crisis – and pushing back hard against plans that are tax hikes masquerading as tax cuts.

We successfully educated citizens on Proposition HH, which was defeated by nearly 60 percent of the vote.

And our proposed ballot measures brought the Democrat Governor and legislature back to the table, where, in a historic special session, they passed a law negotiated with Advance Colorado to provide $1.6 billion in property tax relief for citizens as well as a permanent cap on property taxes in the future.

Advance Colorado has become the voice of the taxpayer in Colorado, and our work on property tax relief has been the focus of news stories nationally.

What the Property Tax Cut and Cap Law Does for You:

Cuts the effective residential property tax rate to 6.3 or 6.4 percent depending on assessment growth. It was set to go up to 6.7 percent next year.
Cuts the commercial property tax rate to 25 percent. It is currently 29 percent.
Implements a property tax cap of 5.25 percent for local governments and 6 percent or inflation growth for school districts. Currently there is no cap at all on school districts, and the cap under SB233 (the bill from last session) for local governments was 5.5 percent.
Ensures honest and non-biased ballot language in a required vote of the people if governments ever wish to opt out of the local cap. This language forces government to start a ballot question by asking, “Shall the city of xxx waive the 5.25 percent property tax cap…”
Protects the cut and caps through TABOR so the legislature may not change them without permission from the people.
Prevents the kind of property tax spikes Coloradans saw in 2023 from happening in the future.