Local election officials are now collecting comments from the public detailing the pros and cons of four financial ballot issues in the upcoming Pitkin County Coordinated Election November 5th. The comments collected from the public will be published in the TABOR (Taxpayer Bill of Rights) Notice and mailed to all voters 30 days before this November’s election.
“A registered elector who wishes to submit a pro or con statement regarding any of the four financial ballot issues may submit their comments to the Designated Election Official of each district, and the elector must be registered in the district,” said Pitkin County Clerk, Janice Vos Caudill. “We are required by the Colorado Constitution to publish the TABOR Notice, and it is referred to by many residents when studying an issue before voting,” Vos Caudill said.
Financial issues on the November ballot come from the following four jurisdictions, and comments should be emailed to the designated election official (DEO) of each district as indicated below:
Only registered voters residing in the political subdivision and eligible to vote on the questions can submit comments on the question, and comments must include a signature upon submission. The deadline for written comments for the TABOR Notice shall be filed by noon on Friday, September 20th. Tabor Notices will be mailed to all registered voters no later than Friday, October 4th.
For more Pitkin County election information, including a soon-to-be-posted sample ballot with the text of all ballot races and measures, go to www.pitkinvotes.com.
The Pitkin County Ballot Issues read as follows:
Ballot Issue 1A: A Dedicated Sales Tax on All Cigarettes, Tobacco and Nicotine Products
SHALL PITKIN COUNTY TAXES BE INCREASED IN AN AMOUNT UP TO $700,000 IN 2020 AND BY SUCH ADDITIONAL AMOUNTS AS MAY BE GENERATED ANNUALLY THEREAFTER BY THE IMPOSITION OF NEW TAXES BEGINNING JANUARY 1, 2020, BY A NEW COUNTY SALES TAX OF THREE DOLLARS AND TWENTY CENTS ($3.20) PER PACK OF TWENTY CIGARETTES SOLD AND INCREASING BY AN AMOUNT OF TEN CENTS ANNUALLY THEREAFTER UNTIL THE TAX IS FOUR DOLLARS ($4.00) PER PACK OF TWENTY CIGARETTES; AND BY A NEW SALES TAX OF 40% ON THE SALES PRICE OF ALL OTHER TOBACCO AND NICOTINE PRODUCTS; THESE TAXES SHALL APPLY TO ALL INVENTORY UNDER THE POSSESSION AND CONTROL OF ANY RETAILER AS OF JANUARY 1, 2020; THE TERMS "TOBACCO PRODUCTS" AND “NICOTINE PRODUCTS” HAVE THE SAME MEANING AS IN C.R.S. § 18-13-121(5) EXCLUSIVE OF CIGARETTES; THE TAX REVENUES SHALL BE USED GENERALLY FOR TAX COLLECTION, ENFORCEMENT, PUBLIC HEALTH PROGRAMS, SUCH AS TOBACCO AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE PREVENTION, AND MENTAL HEALTH PROGRAMS; AND THAT THE COUNTY MAY COLLECT, RETAIN AND EXPEND ALL OF THE REVENUES OF SUCH TAXES AND THE EARNINGS THEREON, NOTWITHSTANDING THE LIMITATIONS OF ARTICLE X, SECTION 20 OF THE COLORADO CONSTITUTION OR ANY OTHER LAW?
Ballot Issue 2A: Retention of Excess of Initial Revenue Estimate of Tobacco Sales Tax
WITHOUT IMPOSING ANY NEW TAX OR INCREASING ANY TAX RATE, MAY THE CITY OF ASPEN KEEP ALL REVENUES (INCLUDING THOSE IN EXCESS OF THE INITIAL REVENUE ESTIMATE) FROM THE NOVEMBER 2017 VOTER-APPROVED TOBACCO RELATED PRODUCTS SALES TAX (BALLOT ISSUE 2B), AND CONTINUE TO COLLECT THE TAX AT THE PREVIOUSLY DEFINED RATE, AND SPEND ALL REVENUES COLLECTED FOR THE PURPOSES AS APPROVED BY VOTERS, INCLUDING HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES, TOBACCO-RELATED HEALTH ISSUES, AND ADDICTION AND SUBSTANCE ABUSE EDUCATION AND MITIGATION?
Ballot Issue 3A: Set Basalt General Operating Mill Levy
SHALL TOWN OF BASALT TAXES BE INCREASED BY NOT MORE THAN $740,000.00 IN TAX COLLECTION YEAR 2020 AND BY WHATEVER ADDITIONAL AMOUNTS ARE GENERATED ANNUALLY THEREAFTER BY INCREASING THE GENERAL OPERATING MILL LEVY FROM 2.562 MILLS TO NOT MORE THAN 5.957 MILLS (WHICH IS THE AMOUNT LEVIED LAST YEAR) FOR GENERAL MUNICIPAL PURPOSES OF THE TOWN, INCLUDING:
• PUBLIC SAFETY AND POLICE SERVICES,
• FIRE AND FLOOD MITIGATION,
• ROAD MAINTENANCE, SIDEWALK REPAIRS, STREET PLOWING AND SWEEPING, AND
• PARK MAINTENANCE AND RECREATIONAL PROGRAMS;
AND SHALL TOWN COUNCIL BE AUTHORIZED TO ADJUST THE RATE WITHOUT FURTHER VOTER APPROVAL SO LONG AS THE RATE DOES NOT EXCEED 5.957 MILLS; AND SHALL THE TOWN BE AUTHORIZED TO COLLECT, RETAIN, AND SPEND SUCH REVENUES NOTWITHSTANDING ANY APPLICABLE REVENUE OR EXPENDITURE LIMITATION IMPOSED BY ARTICLE X, SECTION 20 OF THE COLORADO CONSTITUTION OR ANY OTHER LAW?
Ballot Issue 6A: Aspen Valley Hospital District
WITHOUT RAISING ADDITIONAL TAXES, SHALL ASPEN VALLEY HOSPITAL DISTRICT’S EXISTING PROPERTY TAX LEVY AUTHORIZATION OF UP TO 1.5 MILLS BE EXTENDED FROM ITS CURRENT EXPIRATION OF DECEMBER 31, 2020 THROUGH DECEMBER 31, 2030?