2020 Ballot Measures: Amendment B, Property Taxes and the Gallagher Amendment

One of the questions on this year’s ballot is whether or not to repeal the Gallagher Amendment, which “currently requires that residential and nonresidential property make up constant portions of total statewide taxable property over time. Since adoption in 1982, these provisions have required that the taxable value of residential property make up about 45 percent, and the taxable value of nonresidential property about 55 percent of statewide taxable property,” according to the summary in this year’s Blue Book (the state’s official nonpartisan voter guide).

Before deciding on how to vote on Amendment B, it is helpful to understand the history of the Gallagher Amendment and how it works. The Colorado Legislative Council has prepared several informational resources on the Gallagher Amendment, including a video, Property Taxes and the Gallagher Amendment, as well as a recent memo that explains the amendment and how it relates to the recent economic crisis brought by COVID-19. Another helpful resource is Understanding Property Taxes in Colorado, issued by the Colorado Division of Property Taxation.

For additional resources, search the Colorado General Assembly’s website and the State Publications Library catalog. Finally, for analysis of Amendment B, see the 2020 Blue Book ballot information booklet and associated fiscal impact statement.

 

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Note: The sole purpose of this blog post is to direct Colorado voters to informational resources published by state government. It does not advocate for or against Amendment B.