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County treasurer warns proposed four‑installment property tax plan could strain local budgets
Summary
Elbert County Treasurer Sherry Hewlett told commissioners that a House bill to allow four monthly property tax installments would shift administrative burdens and could harm school and taxing entity cash flows; she estimated additional county costs around $80,000 a year if implemented.
Elbert County Treasurer and Public Trustee Sherry Hewlett told the Board of County Commissioners on Feb. 12, 2025 that a proposal to allow four monthly property tax installments instead of the current options would create operational burdens for counties and could disrupt distributions to local taxing entities, including school districts.
Hewlett said the measure — identified in the meeting as House Bill 25.11 99 — would change payment timing so a final installment could fall in September, which she and the County Treasurers Association say would be infeasible for school districts that rely on February, April and June distributions. "Our school districts, their budget year ends in July...that is not feasible for our school districts and the rest of the taxing entities that get their bulk revenue in Feb, February, June, and April," Hewlett said.
Hewlett described operational impacts: manual processing increases staff workload during peak months, post office drops are full during tax season, and counties may need additional staff or upgraded systems. She said Tyler Technologies, the county's vendor, would have to modify its software if the law changed but that under the county's contract vendors would be required to accommodate any new statutory requirements. "My best guesstimate is around $80,000 a year" in additional county costs if the county needed to hire staff and cover related expenses, Hewlett said, adding the figure is a rough estimate.
Commissioners asked about alternatives, including whether an administrative fee to offset county costs (analogous to a payment‑plan fee) had been considered; Hewlett said such a fee was not part of the bill as she had reviewed it. She offered to forward material the treasurer association and Routt County assembled about anticipated county impacts.
Hewlett also said the county's tax lien sale schedule (advertising beginning in September/October and sales in November) would complicate later installment timing. She asked for the commission's support in opposing the measure and offered to supply additional association analysis for the board and staff to use in legislative discussions.
The board did not take a formal position during the Feb. 12 meeting; Hewlett urged commissioners to contact their legislators and share information with the county's steering committee representatives for Colorado Counties Inc. (CCI).
