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Committee declines to advance ballot measure on property-tax breaks for first responders after debate
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Summary
Senate Concurrent Resolution 1, which would have placed a graduated property-tax reduction for first responders on the ballot, did not pass out of committee. The measure was not referred to Appropriations (vote 1-3) and was later postponed indefinitely by reverse vote.
Senator Bazely presented Senate Concurrent Resolution 1 as an expression to place before Colorado voters a graduated property-tax reduction for first responders, including discussion about adding dispatchers; the sponsor said the change would be presented to voters as a ballot measure.
Sheriff Mike Sell described recruitment and retention challenges for paid and volunteer first responders in rural areas and said rising property taxes make it difficult for some long-serving responders to stay in place. He summarized the proposed structure as a graduated reduction in property taxes tied to years of service: an initial, modest reduction after one year of service, larger reductions for longer service, and a top reduction for those with three decades of service. The sponsor described approximate thresholds in committee discussion: a 10% reduction after one year, rising to 40% after an intermediate service period, and 50% after 30 years; the sponsor said dispatchers should be included as first responders under state law.
Howard Paul, communications director for the Emergency Medical Services Association of Colorado, urged inclusion of search-and-rescue volunteers, noting the statewide search-and-rescue network contributes thousands of volunteer hours and missions each year and that volunteers incur out-of-pocket costs for gear and travel.
Committee discussion included concerns that locking a fiscal policy into the state constitution or ballot measure could reduce property-tax revenue available to local governments that depend on those taxes for budgets, including counties, school districts and special districts. A committee roll call to refer the concurrent resolution to Appropriations failed by a vote of 1 to 3. A subsequent motion to postpone the resolution indefinitely carried by reverse vote, and the resolution did not advance.
Next steps: SCR 1 will not proceed from committee. Sponsors said they may introduce amendments on second reading if the bill reaches the floor, but the committee did not refer the measure forward.
