Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Ballot Initiatives topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Greeley-Evans board hears legal briefing on Initiative 195, Senate bill 135; directors split over support
Summary
Legal counsel briefed the board on two proposed statewide measures — Initiative 195 (graduated income tax constitutional change) and Senate bill 135 (legislative change to retain TABOR-related revenue) — with projections cited of about $19 million for District 6 from 195 and about $2.8 million in a first-year estimate for 135; the board debated merits and noted a formal vote will occur at the business meeting.
Legal counsel and finance staff briefed the Greeley-Evans School District 6 board on two proposed statewide measures that could change how Colorado funds education and other services, prompting a sometimes testy exchange among directors about equity and messaging.
Nate Fall, the district’s legal counsel, summarized the two proposals. Initiative 195 is a citizen-initiated constitutional amendment that would replace Colorado’s flat income tax with graduated rates and earmark a portion of new revenue for K–12 education, early childhood and health care. Fall said the ballot language lists an upper-bound statewide figure of $2.7 billion (a maximum figure required for ballot language). Materials cited during the presentation estimated the district could see about $19 million in 2027 if 195 yields the revenue levels used in that district analysis.
Fall described Senate bill 135 as a legislative measure that would not change tax rates but would allow the state to retain certain TABOR-related revenue and direct a specified portion (the fiscal note contained a district-level estimate) to education. The board heard that 135’s fiscal-note estimate for District 6 is roughly $2.8 million in the first year but that amount depends on whether TABOR refunds or available revenue actually materialize.
Board members split on whether to back the measures. Several directors said they supported Initiative 195 because it would provide sustained, predictable funding to address staffing, class sizes and mental-health supports; others said they opposed targeting higher earners or worried about political blowback that might complicate future bond measures and community partnerships. One director said the district should be careful about public messaging so voters do not expect either measure to “fix” all K–12 funding problems.
No formal board vote on a resolution occurred during the work session; Fall and staff told the board the item will be on the business meeting agenda for any official action. Board members thanked Fall for the briefing; several also noted he is leaving his in-house counsel role.
