El Paso County property taxes to be reduced nearly 20% next year in response to record increases

EL PASO COUNTY, Colo. (KRDO) -- The county's Board of Commissioners officially announced their plan Friday afternoon to lower the amount of record-high property taxes levied to thousands of residents next year.

Some Front Range communities have seen property assessments rise as much as 40%; in a release issued Friday morning, commissioners said that they will cut the increase to around 20%.

To do that, commissioners plan to decrease its portion of the mill levy by $20.5 million.

"We've been planning strategically to lower taxes, achieving a significant nearly 20% total reduction," said board Vice-Chairwoman Carrie Geitner. "This relief effort, adhering to the local TABOR cap, was initiated well before the state's propositions and special legislative session. It’s vital that our constituents understand their county government is working independently to safeguard their interests." 

Geitner said that the county represents a third of the overall property tax bill.

"Two-thirds of their property tax bill will be related to special districts where they live -- such as school districts and special districts," she explained. "Those homeowners need to find out what those districts are dong with their mill levies. Just because the county is providing a 20% discount doesn't mean the overall bill will be 20% less."

Commissioners Stan VanderWerf and Longinos Gonzalez, Jr., joined Geitner in discussing details of the plan at Centennial Hall.

The board has also sent a letter to Colorado Gov. Jared Polis -- in response to a previous letter from him -- explaining its efforts to lower property taxes and criticizing recent state legislation for increasing economic pressures on Colorado families. 

"The letter from the governor was insulting," Gonzalez said. "He's asked us to do something we already normally do, and then try to take credit when we do this. We also didn't have enough collaboration with all of the parties involved in the drafting of Proposition HH (property tax relief) and in the special session of the Legislature. "

Concerns about the state's unfunded mandates, burdensome regulations, and rising fees which are worsening Colorado's cost-of-living challenges, were highlighted in the letter.

"Local governments are concerned about losing their local authority, and they're concerned about getting bills from the state that divert their money from the services that they want to provide," VanderWerf said. "The key to solving this problem is asking the Legislature and governor to listen to local government."

The 20% discount officially becomes effective Jan. 9 when commissioners are expected to pass it.

Cynthia Warnke and Sandra Knoll are sisters who live in a home on Parkview Boulevard in west Colorado Springs, and were thrilled to hear the news.

"We both live on social security, and it would be a little bit rough without the discount," Warnke said. "I don't want to give up my home."

Knoll said she finds the high cost of homes bewildering.

"We're not far from The Broadmoor, but we're not talking Broadmoor here -- and the homes here, are just outrageous what they're asking for them," she said.

To read the Board's letter to the governor, visit: https://bocc.elpasoco.com/.