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Resident alleges constitutional violations by El Paso County tax policy; commissioner corrects record
Summary
At public comment a resident alleged that El Paso County’s property tax system violates multiple amendments to the U.S. Constitution; a commissioner responded during the meeting to correct factual inaccuracies about how commissioners’ salaries and property tax formulas are set.
John Little used the public‑comment period to assert that El Paso County’s property tax practices violate the U.S. Constitution, referencing the Fourth, Eighth and Sixteenth Amendments and saying the county’s real property tax is an “unrealized capital gains direct tax.” Little urged restructuring county government and phasing out property taxes in favor of a county sales tax.
In response to the comments, a county official on the dais corrected the record, saying county commissioners “do not set their own salaries” and that salaries and the majority of property tax formulation are determined at the state level. The official said it was important to ensure the public has accurate information.
The transcript records Little’s assertions and the commissioner’s brief corrective remarks during the meeting; there was no formal action taken in response to the public comments during the session.
