November, 2010 Ballot Issues
Proposition 101, Amendment 60 and Amendment 61 have been certified for the November, 2010 State wide election. These ballot issues are significant and the citizens should be prepared to cast knowlegable votes. Click here to see the content of the Proposition and the two Amendments.
Proponent information can be found at www.cotaxreform.com, www.limitcodebt.com, and www.limitpropertytax.com.
Opponent information can be found at www.donthurtcolorado.com, Colorado Municipal League http://www.cml.org/ballot.aspx, Colorado Counties Inc. http://www.ccionline.org/index.cfm/ID/126/Announcements/, and Special Districts Association http://www.sdaco.org/resources
The Southgate Boards of Directors have adopted the following resolution:
WATER RESOLUTION 2010-03
SANITATION RESOLUTION 2010-02
A JOINT RESOLUTION OF THE BOARDS OF DIRECTORS OF THE SOUTHGATE WATER DISTRICT AND THE SOUTHGATE SANITATION DISTRICT (“THE DISTRICTS”) ADOPTING A POSITION OF ADVOCACY PURSUANT TO §1-45-117(1)(b)(III), C.R.S., IN OPPOSITION TO PROPOSITION 101, AMENDMENT 60, AND AMENDMENT 61.
Amendment 60 would require the Districts, as enterprises, to pay property taxes, thereby increasing their expenditures while Proposition 101 is simultaneously reducing the Districts’ revenues. Amendment 61 will significantly impair the Districts’ ability to fund long term capital projects including the necessary rehabilitation, maintenance, repair, or replacement of the Districts’ infrastructure.
Amendment 60 does not clearly define the manner in which those property taxes are to be calculated, leaving the Districts to believe that the tax burden could be as much as $5.5 million per year for the Southgate Water District and as much as $4.7 million per year for the Southgate Sanitation District.
The Southgate Districts have a long standing history of fiscal prudence. For the budget year 2010 the Water District has an operating budget of $1.6 million with NO property tax, while the Sanitation District has an operating budget of $1.6 million with a property tax of less than 1 mil.
The requirement for the Districts to pay property taxes would require the imposition of substantially higher service charges or taxes to our customers.
IT IS JOINTLY RESOLVED BY THE BOARDS OF DIRECTORS OF THE SOUTHGATE WATER DISTRICT AND THE SOUTHGATE SANITATION DISTRICT THAT:
- The Boards adopt an official position opposing Proposition 101 and Amendments 60 and 61 as not being in the best interests of the Districts nor in the health, safety, and welfare of their customers.
- As authorized by §1-45-117(1)(b)(III), C.R.S., the Districts’ administrative staff is hereby directed to report the passage, and to distribute copy, of this Resolution through established, customary means (other than through advertising) by which other District information concerning other proceedings of the Districts and their Boards of Directors is regularly provided to the public, including posting on the Districts’ website and publication in the Districts’ newsletter.
Unanimously adopted this 19th day of July 2010
