At the Chamber we work to deliver not just great jobs, but a great quality of life. The failure of Proposition 110 means we won’t see major improvements in our transportation experience anytime soon. It’s an understatement to say we are disappointed at the outcome of the vote.
Our concern is for all of us, as residents of this state, whose quality of life is being negatively impacted by our failure to invest in our infrastructure. In the next few years, we recognize that those local communities who can afford to address their own transportation needs will likely do so, which means our state and rural Colorado will never get the investment they need. We supported Proposition 110 because it brought our state together, offering a true statewide solution that addressed the needs of all Coloradans.
Our workforce is our greatest asset, and we’re committed to growing our own highly educated workforce. That’s why we supported Denver Initiative 300 – a first in the nation pay-for-success program to help more kids get the post-secondary education Colorado needs. Denver Initiative 300, Prosperity Denver, passed. It will dedicate a .08 percent sales tax increase to post-secondary scholarships for Denver high school graduates. The new funding will underwrite scholarships, based on a sliding income scale, for eligible Denver residents between the ages of 18 and 25 who have lived in Denver for at least 36 months. Students with a high school diploma or GED may attend a Colorado-accredited public or nonprofit two- or four-year college, university, community college or technical college. We thank voters for recognizing the need for an educated workforce and seeing how this can serve as a model for other communities in our state to motivate students to not only enroll, but complete these critical classes and degrees.
Here’s a recap of the other ballot issues we weighed in on:
We also supported Amendments Y and Z, which will make our congressional and legislative redistricting process more fair, engaging independent voters through commissions that will work to keep our districts competitive.
And, there were measures that we saw as threats to our state and its economy and were glad to see those issues defeated:
While the election is over, the work begins with the next administration as we prepare for the legislative session that will kick off in January. We invite you to join us at the Legislative Preview and kick off the 2019 with party leadership on Jan. 3.
Kelly Brough is the president and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber.
We are ALL talking about transportation these days – and it’s clear why: we need to invest more in our transportation system.
And, that’s why we are strongly supporting Proposition 110.
It’s not the only transportation funding solution on Colorado’s incredibly long ballot, but it is the right one. What we and over 500 statewide endorsers like about Proposition 110 is that it provides funding for critical projects in our state AND addresses local transportation funding needs. When you consider that 88 percent of Colorado roads are owned and maintained by cities and counties, you realize that those local needs can’t be ignored. For only about six cents on a $10 purchase, we can create a revenue stream that will allow us to address $6 billion in state projects (making a serious dent in the Colorado Department of Transportation’s $9 billion project list) and provide funding to local communities, ensuring our first and last mile needs are addressed, too.
A national study found that drivers in the metro area are already spending more than $1,100 because we use more fuel sitting in traffic, get damage to our vehicles due to the condition of our roads and get in more accidents. And, that doesn’t even account for your lost time – which of course is PRICELESS. What we love the most about Proposition 110? Those 40 million out-of-state tourists who visit Colorado each year will help pay, too – as a matter of fact, contributing $92 million in just the first year.
You can learn more about Proposition 110 in our latest issue of Business Altitude.
We have worked hard with a statewide coalition to find the right solution that will have a real impact on our quality of life, and that’s why so many in Colorado have endorsed it as well – Governor Hickenlooper; newspapers including The Denver Post, The Aurora Sentinel, The Durango Herald, The (Grand Junction) Daily Sentinel, The Steamboat Pilot, The (Cortez) Journal and The Craig Daily Press; numerous Republican and Democrat county commissioners and mayors; and over 100 businesses, civic leaders, economic development organizations and chambers.
Help ensure everybody knows about Prop 110!
And, most of all, be sure to vote in November.
You can watch or share our full video ballot guide and video guide to Proposition 110.
Kelly Brough is the president and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber.
There’s a lot on Colorado’s ballot this year, but we’ve got you covered.
Our Board of Directors have weighed in on eight issues critical to the business community. And, thanks to our friends at Comcast, who are making us hipper and cooler, you can watch a video and learn everything you need to know about those issues.
If you want to be hip and cool, share this video with others ?
But, most importantly, make sure you vote when you get that ballot this year.
Kelly Brough is the president and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber.
Last week, the governor’s budget office released its latest state revenue forecast. The good news is state revenues are strong, and from the business community’s perspective, with our growing economy, we expected to see solid revenue growth.
While we are thankful that we continue to see this economic success, we are immediately reminded that this good news still won’t address our long-term transportation funding needs, which have lacked meaningful new funding for 25 years. As we all know, the formulas in our constitution that are part of TABOR (the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights) mean that instead of funding priorities like transportation, we will soon be refunding hundreds of millions of dollars to taxpayers – the forecast estimates the state will refund $261 million in 2019 and $381 million in 2020. At the same time, our constitution mandates funding increases for the K-12 education system, further limiting how new dollars can be used.
What this means for us is that successfully passing Proposition 110 in November is more important than ever – it’s the only way to make a real dent in the $9 billion in unfunded state transportation projects. In its first year, Proposition 110 will generate $767 million, unlocking $6 billion in bonding capacity. And, it will send millions to local governments as well – something that is critical given that 88 percent of roads are owned and maintained by them. Because it’s a sales tax, we love that the over 40 million out-of-state visitors will help pay for improvements to our transportation system, too, and the funds can only be used to support our transportation system.
November will be here sooner than we think, so please take the time to learn about Proposition 110 and share how important it is with others. You can see the Chamber’s full ballot guide at denverchamber.org/2018ballot. And, you can pick up your yard sign to show your support of Proposition 110 next time you’re at the Chamber.
Kelly Brough is the president and CEO of the Denver Metro Chamber.
For several months, the Chamber has been working with a large coalition of partners from across the state to file language for a November ballot issue asking Coloradans to invest in our transportation infrastructure through an increase in sales tax.
Why do we need to invest?
Colorado has critical needs that have gone unmet for decades. In fact, it’s been almost 25 years since our state has received an increase in tax revenue for transportation. During that same period, Colorado’s population has grown by almost 2 million people and technology is delivering mobility solutions that we aren’t able to take advantage of. The Colorado Department of Transportation has a $9 billion project list, $7 billion of which has no secure funding.
Our failure to invest is costing us real money. Colorado drivers are, on average, paying more than $1,600 a year because of traffic congestion delays, damage to vehicles, accidents and lost gas efficiency. Those costs really add up — in total, Coloradans are paying $6.8 billion annually due to the poor condition of our transportation system.
The coalition has identified critical elements to meet our needs:
1. Focus on a statewide approach to ensure our economic engine of the Front Range and the quality of life delivered by our mountains and plains can be maintained.
2. Allocate funding to address the large, high-priority statewide projects like I-70 and I-25.
3. Ensure local governments (cities and counties) have the resources to meet their needs. Many of us don’t know whether we’re driving on a state highway or a local road — both need to be addressed.
4. Encourage regions to continue to work together to find solutions that allow regional issues to be addressed based on local priorities. Such solutions can include bus or van services that allow seniors to get to doctor appointments, improvements for pedestrians or roadway connections.
What’s on the ballot?
The coalition submitted five titles. Those range in sales tax increases from 0.35 percent to 1 percent. At their core, our goal is to provide funding for state and local transportation projects, and those titles range because the coalition wants to keep all options on the table now that we have a clearer picture of the additional review available to the state because of changes in federal tax policy and increased economic activity.
This additional one-time revenue is helpful, but we know there are a number of needs at the state in addition to transportation: education, Colorado’s pension system’s unfunded liability, implementing the state water plan and more.
There are a number of reasons the coalition is focusing on sales tax over other options:
1. Gas tax is diminishing over time as cars get more efficient and electric and hybrid vehicles don’t pay their fair share.
2. A small increase in sales tax raises more revenue than very large increases in vehicle registration or gas tax.
3. Unlike a vehicle registration tax, sales tax ensures that those 80 million visitors to Colorado contribute to maintaining and improving our roads.
4. Local governments rely heavily on sales tax, and a significant portion of the money raised will go straight to supporting local priorities.
What’s next?
The coalition will determine the title it will take to voters in November; stay up-to-date with the latest business policy news at
denverchamber.org/policynews.
Sara Crocker is the communications manager for the Denver Metro Chamber.
This article was originally published on Business Altitude. Click here to view the issue.
