State Taxes & Fees

What We  Believe

Colorado’s Taxpayer Bill of Rights, or “TABOR” for short, was passed by the people in 1992 as a powerful check on government spending and growth. When the people began to see that the General Assembly prefers to abuse TABOR through the creation of fees and state enterprise funds, they passed Proposition 117 in 2020, which required statewide voter approval of new state enterprises if the enterprise’s projected or actual revenue from fees or surcharges is greater than $100 million within its first five years.
 
Since Prop 117 passed, at least 12 new state enterprises have been created by the state legislature without being voted on by the people. In several cases, legislators have entirely ignored Prop 117 – which says that if enterprises serve primarily the same purpose, they must be combined for the $100 million limit.
 
When the hundreds of bills proposed by the legislature each session are evaluated, it is clear that the majority of legislators at the Capitol look for ways to take TABOR refunds from voters to use for government priorities and to create additional fees and enterprises, which abuses the constitutional rights of citizens to vote on tax increases in Colorado. Please use this short report as an informative guide to the state taxes and fees you pay in Colorado.

Media

Meet the Authors

Michael Tsogt

Michael Tsogt is a Policy Analyst at the Advance Colorado Institute. His areas of policy and research include education, budget/fiscal matters, and public safety. He has testified on a range of bills at the State Capitol, including a bill proposing education savings accounts for special needs and foster care kids in Colorado. During undergrad, Michael was elected as the Academic Senator for student government, covered sports and entertainment for the student newspaper, and participated in several political fellowships and opportunities, including at the Center for the Study of Government and the Individual, the American Enterprise Institute, and the Intercollegiate Studies Institute. Michael graduated from the University of Colorado with a degree in political science. He and his wife live in Colorado Springs.

At Advance Colorado, we believe in an education system that puts Colorado parents and students first through a system that emphasizes:

At the heart of Colorado’s school system is school choice, in which our state has been a national trailblazer for decades. – a system that has enjoyed deep, bipartisan support.

What We  Do

We craft cutting edge policies that empower parents, taxpayers, and teachers and push back on the status quo interests that resist reform. 

Our 2024 Policy Agenda includes several important education reform priorities. Read it HERE

This year, we are leading the charge to protect the school choice rights we currently have – rights that are annually under siege from the education establishment groups that want to eliminate your right to choose the best school for your children. We can secure our rights into the future through a school choice amendment to the Colorado Constitution. 

Read our policy brief on this important issue HERE.

What You Can Do

We help citizens become advocates and leaders.

Whether you are a concerned parent, grandparent or taxpayer, Advance Colorado can equip you with the knowledge and tools to be an effective advocate for high quality, accountable schools. Learn more about our ambassador program.

And if you are interested in running to become a member of your local school board, you can apply to participate in the Advance Colorado Academy New Leader program. LINK If you are a current school board member, you can enroll in our “You’ve Won, Now What?” program. Learn more about our “You’ve Won, Now What?” program.

Our Model Local Policy Team

Yazmin NavarroState Board of Education

Fellow in Growth & Opportunity

Rep. Rose PuglieseState Representative

Fellow in Local Government

Dr. Debora ScheffelDean & Professor, School of Education

Fellow in Education Reform

Michael FieldsPresident of the Institute

Kristi Burton BrownInstitute Executive Vice President

Michael TsogtPolicy Analyst & Academy Director

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Colorado is a special place with special people. For too long, leaders have stood by while liberal special interest groups and politicians have turned Colorado into a testing ground for some of the most liberal policies and plans in the nation.