Colorado
A Colorado Fire Department says another state tax cut could cost the safety of residents
COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KKTV) – The Cimarron Hills Fire Department today said if they are included in the property tax reductions being negotiated this week- they may have to cut staff.
Gov. Jared Polis called for a special session on Monday to discuss a property tax cut that could save over a billion dollars for Coloradans. But he says he doesn’t want to be at the expense of the school system.
“I’m hopeful, I am always supportive of property tax relief. There is an opportunity here to provide some prop property tax relief for every homeowner in the state at the same time, we can reduce the risk going forward. I have several different kind of ballot initiatives. It seems like every year we have different ballad initiative. They can threaten school funding and planning,” said Gov. Polis.
The Cimarron Hills Fire Department says they also want to be exempt from those tax cuts and maintain their funding.
“Those impacts are already devastating enough, but we think that moving forward we’re able to sustain under those we’re just asking for no further cuts. So the cuts that were made in (Senate Bill) 233 we aren’t going to have to cut any stuff, but it doesn’t look like we’re gonna have the ability to add any additional staff either,” said Cimarron Hills Fire Chief, Andrew York.
The Fire Chief said that for 1 in every 3 calls they get, they have simultaneous emergent calls and want to ensure they have the proper staffing to respond to people at risk.
“There’s going to be a very real impact to the public and what we said to the legislators and I know it’s gonna sound abrasive, but the bottom line is that houses could burn down and lives could be lost,” said Fire Chief York.
The special session is between Advance Colorado, Colorado Concern and state legislative leaders to negotiate a tax cut without enacting Initiatives 50 and 108. Those measures, if passed, would cap property tax revenue per year and reduce the assessment rates when considering the property values.
Allegedly there has been an agreement between the groups that would
- Cut the effective residential property tax rate to 6.3 or 6.4 percent depending on assessment growth;
- Cut the commercial property tax rate to 25 percent;
- Implement a property tax cap of 5.25 percent for local governments and 6 percent or inflation growth (whichever is greater) for school districts.
- Ensure clear and non-biased ballot language in the required vote of the people to opt out of the local cap.
The session will be held this week until Wednesday.
For more information on the session, click here.
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Colorado
Bonnie Brae Conoco in Denver for sale after more than 80 years of family ownership
When you walk inside the Conoco station at the corner of University Boulevard and Bonnie Brae Boulevard in Denver, you can’t help but notice the history on the walls.
“Here’s the 40s. The 50s and my dad and uncle in the 70s,” says owner Ken Wilson pointing to the pictures on the wall.
Ken is the third generation of the Wilson family to own the gas station and service center.
“Grandpa Ken started to lease this out in 1942. My dad bought the business from my grandpa and my uncle worked his whole career here for my dad and for me,” Ken recalls.
In all, the Wilson family has owned the Conoco station for more than 80 years.
“I started working here in 1978 when I was 12, just part time in the summers. I worked through high school and through college and then did my own thing, and I’ve been back here about 15 years,” said Ken.
“It means so much to our family. It’s been a great business.”
But Ken is the end of the road for the Wilson family ownership. In February, a for sale sign went up at the Bonnie Brae Conoco.
“We’re just looking now. We’re not in a rush. It’s not like we’re going to sell and be done this year. We’re going to get a price we want to get, and if it takes us years to do that’s okay,” he said.
Wilson has seen a lot of change during his time working at the station and service center.
“There aren’t a lot of garages anymore. They used to be everywhere. There were four of them on this block when I was a kid, he said.
When asked what he’ll miss most, Ken points to his relationship with his customers.
“I’ve had customers now where I actually waited on their grandparents. And then their parents. And now them.”
As for what his grandpa would say if he could see the place now, Ken says, “I think he’d say he was really proud of what we’ve done. Both my father, my uncle and myself. Hopefully he’s still hanging around here once in a while.”
Colorado
Colorado offers composite five-star 2028 wide receiver from Texas
The Colorado Buffaloes are still putting the finishing touches on their 2027 class over the next few months, but their 2028 recruiting plan continues to take shape.
Earlier this week, Deion Sanders’ staff extended an offer to one of the top prospects in the class of 2028, composite five-star wide receiver Jaylen Addai. Addai now holds 43 offers, including one from nearly every blue-blood program in the country.
247Sports’ Composite currently ranks Addai as the No. 12 overall prospect in the 2028 class, the No. 3 overall wide receiver and the top player from the state of Texas.
At 5-foot-11, 165 pounds, the Pearland, Texas native fits the mold of the modern-day receiver. He seems likely to fill into his frame given his youth. Addai is a multiple-sport athlete with elite athleticism on the field, on the basketball court and on the track.
Given how early it is in Addai’s recruitment, several teams are in contention for his commitment, with Notre Dame and Ohio State leading the way early. When the 2028 cycle picks up later this year, who really has a chance should come into focus, especially when visits begin.
Colorado’s 2028 class does not have any commitments yet, but has offers out to 28 different wide receiver prospects.
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Colorado
Data shows more than half of Colorado voters aren’t registered with a political party
DENVER (KDVR) — New data from the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office shows that more than half of Colorado voters are now registered as unaffiliated, meaning they are not registered with a political party.
With the primary election just weeks away, those voters will need to decide whether to participate in the Democratic or Republican primary.
Colorado operates under a semi-open primary system, allowing unaffiliated voters to choose which party’s primary they want to vote in. With unaffiliated voters now making up the majority of registered voters in the state, their choices will play a significant role in election outcomes.
According to the Colorado County Clerks Association, the trend has been building since 2004, with voters continuing to leave both the Democratic and Republican parties to register as unaffiliated.
While an unaffiliated voter’s ballot choices remain private, the party primary they participate in does become part of their public voter registration record.
Unaffiliated voters also face some limitations. They cannot participate in party caucuses and cannot sign petitions for party candidates.
“I think the largest reason why we have so many unaffiliated voters is because people are intensely unhappy with both political parties, and they don’t want to be a part of it,” Matt Crane, executive director of the Colorado County Clerks Association, said. “And now with the primaries, they really don’t have to make that choice. They can just vote and then move on and not have to worry about some of the baggage and garbage that comes with being a member of a political party.”
Election officials are reminding unaffiliated voters that they received two ballots in the mail: one for the Republican primary and one for the Democratic primary. Voters should return only one ballot. If both ballots are submitted, neither vote will be counted.
If an unaffiliated voter casts a ballot in-person, the clerk will ask them which ballot they would like to cast.
The Colorado County Clerks Association also reminded voters that ballots must be received by Election Day, with the exception of military and overseas voters. Voters planning to return their ballots by mail should send them by the Tuesday before Election Day, one week in advance, to ensure they arrive on time.
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