Colorado voters fund free school meals; Denver backs $950M bond package

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(The Center Square) – Colorado voters overwhelmingly supported two statewide ballot measures that will increase funding to subsidized school meal programs.

Proposition LL, which will allow the state to maintain current tax deduction limits for individuals earning $300,000 or more annually, passed with 64% of the vote.

Proposition MM will allow Colorado to increase income taxes by $95 million annually to pay for school meal programs. It passed with 58% of the vote and will fund free school meals for all Colorado school children, regardless of household income.

Thomas Aiello, senior director of government affairs at the National Taxpayers Union, told The Center Square in an exclusive interview last week that measures will have real financial consequences on Colorado’s taxpayers and the state overall.

“Colorado historically has treated all taxpayers well and fostered a low tax environment,” Aiello said. “However, recent ballot measures, including these two measures, continue to upend Colorado’s welcoming tax environment.”

Colorado taxpayers are in a unique situation compared to other voters across the nation because of its Taxpayer Bill of Rights.

First passed in 1992, TABOR allows Colorado to lead the nation as the only state that has a revenue cap on how much money its government can bring in. As part of the state constitution, it has a few key requirements:

• The state may only retain an amount of revenue equal to the previous year's revenue, with adjustments made each year for population growth and inflation.

• Above that, the state is required to refund any additional money brought in back to the taxpayers.

• It also requires that any increase in taxation goes to a vote of the people.

Aiello said this gives great power to the taxpayers in the state.

“Colorado has perhaps the strongest Taxpayer Bill of Rights out of any state in the country,” he explained. “This helps protect taxpayers and requires local governments to provide as accurate information as possible when seeking voters’ approvals for tax increases.”

In addition to the two statewide measures, Colorado voters also considered nearly 100 local measures across 30 counties. Those measures totaled over $1 billion in bonds or tax increases and many of them passed.

Denver had five measures that made up the $950 million Vibrant Denver bond package, which The Center Square previously reported on. All five of those passed and will fund more than 200 repairs, improvements and upgrades through the city.

Mayor Mike Johnston called them “transformational investments.”

“Denver chose to invest in our city’s future, and we are deeply grateful,” said Johnston. “By approving all five measures of the Vibrant Denver Bond, residents said ‘yes’ to better streets, stronger neighborhoods and more vibrant public spaces.”