NO on Initiative 50 & 108!
July 24, 2024
The Colorado Blueprint to End Hunger is joining Coloradans for Local Communities to raise awareness for two statewide ballot measures – Initiatives 50 and 108 – this fall. If approved by voters, they’ll do irreparable harm to local communities. The negative impact of these policies would be felt in every sector of our economy, at every level of our state.
That’s why our Policy & Community Justice Team is urging partners across all sectors to join efforts to oppose these ballot initiatives.
What are these ballot measures? And why should I be concerned?
Both 50 & 108 are complicated to explain, and that’s on purpose. These measures are being touted as relief to Coloradans when they’ll actually do the opposite: devastating the power of local communities to invest in what their residents need to thrive.
Initiative 50 would institute a constitutional four-percent annual cap on total statewide property tax revenues – and force a statewide vote for any local district wishing to keep revenues above that cap. It would decrease the local share of education funding by $121 million in the first year, reaching $1.38 billion by 2032.
In addition, this measure will have local communities feeling the effects of their neighbors and pit them against each other. For example, if the metro area grows faster in property tax revenue than rural areas, rural areas could find themselves facing a cap even if their revenues did not grow.
→ Takeaway: Initiative 50 will underfund Colorado schools and pit communities against one another. This deceptive measure delivers big tax cuts to wealthy homeowners and big corporations but does very little for older adults, the middle class, small businesses, or rural Coloradans.
Initiative 108 drops property tax assessment rates for local districts and mandates that the state backfill these funding cuts from the already insufficient State General Fund. Cuts amount to $3 billion in the first year, which is about 15% of the total state budget. This would demolish funding for important community services like public libraries and schools, fire departments, parks, roads, water, mental health services, and more.
→ Takeaway: Initiative 108 would force $3 billion in cuts to our state budget immediately, and increase those cuts over time, with absolutely no plan to replace that revenue. If passed, it would severely limit financial resources for implementing policies that advance food justice and sovereignty across Colorado, as our state budget would be stretched to its limits.
Coloradans need tax relief, but these initiatives are not the answer.
What is the Blueprint doing? And what can I do?
Our team will create materials that quantify what these disastrous measures would do to funding for the food and nutrition programs that our network of partners works tirelessly to maintain, strengthen, and innovate.
We urge individual network partners and organizations to join us in raising awareness and educating others about the damaging impacts of Intiatives 50 and 108. Access and use materials from Coloradans for Local Communities, including fact sheets. You also can sign on to endorse their efforts as an individual or organization.
For our Spanish-speaking partners and communities, we recognize the lack of language justice that these resources carry. We can help you in creating materials for your community that make this information accessible. Contact our Policy Director, Greta Allen, if that’s of interest.