HB 24-1302

House Bill 24-1302, which has been approved and is now effective in Colorado, requires local taxing authorities like towns, cities, school districts, and special districts to provide detailed information about property tax levies to the public each year. This includes details such as the current rate of the levy, prior year's revenue, maximum allowable increase without voter approval, and whether there are any limits on how much revenue can grow annually from these levies. The bill also mandates that counties ensure this information is publicly accessible. Additionally, it removes certain requirements for annual property tax notices sent by county assessors and adjusts reimbursement rules for local governments related to property tax reductions. This bill aims to increase transparency in property taxation for Colorado residents.

Official Summary

The act requires towns, cities, school districts, special districts, and other taxing authorities to submit, with their annual certification of levies, the following information for each levy that the taxing authority imposes: The rate of each levy; The prior year levy and revenue collected from the levy; The maximum levy that may be levied without further voter approval; The allowable annual growth in revenue collected from the levy; The actual growth in revenue collected from the levy over the prior year; Whether revenue from the levy is allowed to be retained and spent as a voter-approved revenue change pursuant to section 20 (7)(b) of article X of the state constitution; Whether revenue from the levy is subject to a specified statutory limit on annual revenue growth; Whether revenue from the levy is subject to any other limit on annual revenue growth enacted by the taxing authority or other local government; Whether the levy must be adjusted, or whether a mill levy credit must be allowed, to collect a certain amount of revenue for the tax year and, if applicable, that amount of revenue; and Any other information determined necessary by the department of local affairs. The board of county commissioners or other body authorized by law to levy taxes shall provide this information, along with the identity of the entity that fixes each levy rate, with its annual certification of levies. Counties, in coordination with the property tax administrator, are required to ensure that this information is publicly available. The act also removes the requirement that an annual notice of valuation sent to a property owner by a county assessor contain an estimate or an estimated range of the taxes owed for the current property tax year. The act removes the requirement that the state treasurer reduce a local government entity's reimbursement, as necessary, to prevent the entity from exceeding its fiscal year spending limit under section 20 (7)(b) of article X of the state constitution when calculating reimbursements to local governmental entities for the property tax year commencing on January 1, 2023, to account for the reduction in property tax revenue as a result of the cumulative temporary reductions in valuation for assessment made in Senate Bill 23B-001. For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, $50,296 is appropriated from the general fund to the department of local affairs for use by the division of local government, of which $27,198 is reappropriated to the office of the governor for use by the office of information technology to provide information technology services for the department of local affairs. APPROVED by Governor June 3, 2024 EFFECTIVE June 3, 2024(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Votes