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Westminster to pursue pilot property‑tax rebate to encourage child‑care providers
Summary
Council asked staff to draft an ordinance for a pilot program to rebate the city's 3.65‑mill property tax for licensed child‑care providers inside Westminster; estimated fiscal impact $66,000–$105,000 and a first-year appropriation up to $105,000 was proposed.
The Westminster City Council on July 20 directed staff to prepare an ordinance that would pilot a property‑tax rebate for licensed child‑care providers inside city limits.
Chief Financial Officer Ezekiel Vasquez said state law (identified in staff materials as Senate Bill 24002) authorizes local governments to rebate property taxes for specific local concerns. "The program that we are proposing would rebate 100% of the city's property tax, and that is the 3.65 mills that the city levies," Vasquez said, laying out eligibility and safeguards including a requirement that property owners complete an affidavit committing to forward the rebate to the child‑care operator within 30 days.
Staff used U.S. Census and local licensing data to estimate about 6,900 children under age 6 live in Westminster, roughly 57 licensed commercial centers and 24 licensed family‑home providers. Vasquez said those numbers produced per‑provider rebate estimates of about $2,260 for a commercial center and roughly $110 for a home‑based provider; the city estimated a total rebate cost between $66,000 and $105,000 depending on participation and assessment differences.
Assistant City Attorney Matthew Munch told council the statute requires verifiable, Westminster‑specific data to justify the local designation; staff said they will coordinate with an ongoing internal childcare study and aim to return with a draft ordinance and the required report. On a quick poll, councilors indicated support for directing staff to craft an ordinance mirroring Adams County’s program where appropriate and to seek a first‑year appropriation not to exceed $105,000.
Vasquez said the pilot would be evaluated annually and that any unused appropriation would remain with the city. Staff identified administrative workload as manageable and seasonally concentrated if the city times applications to mirror county practice.
Next steps: staff will gather the verifiable Westminster data required by state statute, coordinate with the ongoing childcare study, draft program documentation, and return with a noticed ordinance and appropriation request for council consideration.
