Archuleta County Property Tax Stabilization

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Archuleta County Property Tax Stabilization

• Ballot Measure

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County Revenue Sources14,299,562 Total
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Property Tax Anatomy Dissection
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• The Archuleta County mill levy is controlled by
  two Colorado State laws.
• The Gallagher Amendment Yearly property tax
  revenue increases limited to a maximum of 5.5
  over prior year.
• The Tax Payers Bill of Rights (TABOR) Amendment
  Yearly revenue increases limited to the lesser
  of 5.5
• OR
• Denver/Boulder/Greeley inflation change in net
  new local construction

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• In 2006, TABOR limited the County to a 3.84
  increase in property tax revenue over 2005

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So?

• Revenue limitations prevent the County from
  keeping up with the rising costs of doing business

The County has been absorbing inflation costs
since 1993. Weve reached the breaking point.
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TABOR Choking County Services
1990 County population 5,345
2006 County population 12,000
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The Bottom Line

• Growth is not paying for the costs of its impacts
• Using our 300,000 home example
• Vacant land value 80,000
• Property taxes would be 423
• Landhouse value 300,000
• Property taxes would be 435
• Only 12 more for developed property!

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What are we proposing?

• WITH NO INCREASE IN THE CURRENT TAX RATE OR MILL
  LEVY, SHALL ARCHULETA COUNTY BE AUTHORIZED TO
  COLLECT, RETAIN AND SPEND ALL REVENUES DERIVED
  FROM PROPERTY TAXES UNDER ITS CURRENT PROPERTY
  TAX LEVY OF 18.233 MILLS IN 2007 AND IN EACH
  SUBSEQUENT YEAR THROUGH 2011, WITHOUT FURTHER
  VOTER APPROVAL , FOR THE PURPOSE OF FUNDING
  GENERAL ARCHULETA COUNTY GOVERNMENT OPERATIONS TO
  INCLUDE ROUTINE MAINTENANCE OF ALL COUNTY ROADS,
  AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENTS, INCLUDING PARKS AND
  RECREATION FACILITIES AND COUNTY GOVERNMENT
  FACILITIES, NOTWITHSTANDING ANY LIMITATION SET
  FORTH IN ARTICLE X, SECTION 20 OF THE COLORADO
  CONSTITUTION OR SECTION 29-1-301, COLORADO
  REVISED STATUTES, AS AMENDED.
• YES _______
• NO _______

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Huh???

• Translation
• With no increase in the current tax rate
• The County will be asking voters permission to
  retain the taxes we can collect
• The mill levy will be stabilized at the current
  rate of 18.233 mills
• For a period of five years

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What this means to your taxes

• You will not see an increase in your tax rate.
• Your taxes will remain the same as long as the
  market value of your property remains the same.

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Tax assessment rates

• Set by the state, not the County assessor
• Residential Commercial/Vacant Oil Gas
• 7.96 29 85
• County property tax revenue for each 100,000
  market value
• 145 529 1550
• Effective tax rate
• .145 .529 1.55

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What this means to Oil and Gas

• Anticipated production over the next 40 yrs
  203.1 Million in property tax revenue
• If the ballot measure passes, this averages out
  to 5 million per year
• If it doesnt, Oil and Gas will only pay
• 2.5 million per year

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Why let Oil and Gas off the hook?

• If the ballot measure does not pass,
• the tax credit would be
• 70 back to a 300,000 homeowner
• 2,500,000 back to Oil and Gas companies
• Over the last six years, the assessed value for
  oil and gas has increased 689
• If the ballot measure passes, oil and gas
  companies will pay their way.

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What this means to your County services

• We will be able to continue providing general
  County services, including Public Safety, Social
  Services, Senior and Veteran services
• All county roads will be maintained
• Develop parks, recreation facilities and trails
• Develop plans towards construction of essential
  County facilities

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• Sunset provision
• The ballot measure will span five years, in which
  time voters can decide if the County is using the
  increased revenues as promised.

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FACTS

• FACT Your tax rate will not increase
• FACT Oil and gas will pay their way
• FACT All county roads will be maintained
• FACT Current levels of other county services
  will be maintained
• FACT The public can turn this off in 5 years if
  unsatisfied by the Countys performance

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For more information

• www.archuletacounty.org
• Bob Campbell, County Administrator 264-8300
• Sheila Berger, Special Projects Manager 264-8540

Archuleta County Respect, Honesty and Open
Communication