by Gretchen Orr
HUERFANO– One hundred and twelve Huerfano County Democrats came out for precinct caucuses Tuesday night.
County Democrats expressed strong opposition to Proposition 101. Art Bobian spoke of the hidden dangers of Proposition 101. If passed, Proposition 101 would cut state revenue by billions of dollars and cut local government revenue by hundreds of millions of dollars. While on the surface it may seem appealing to individual taxpayers to have their vehicle registration fees cut to just $2, the consequences to local governments’ ability to provide services would be profound, and schools would face immense budget cuts. For example, figures complied for Alamosa show that vehicle registration fee cuts in their area would result in schools’ annual funding being reduced from $827,000 to just $2,000.
The group united in opposition to Amendments 60’s stricter limits on property taxes than currently imposed by TABOR. If passed, Amendment 60 would cripple local government’s ability to raise revenue.
The group also opposes Amendment 61, because it places undue burdens on a local government’s ability to borrow money for needed projects, including infrastructure. Just as individuals cannot be expected to pay off a major investment like a home mortgage in just ten years, so too local governments cannot be reasonably expected to be able to pay off major infrastructure costs in just ten years.
In the straw poll for the Senate race, Romanoff got 34 votes, Bennet received 46, and 32 were uncommitted.
Delegates were chosen for the County Assembly, to be held on April 3.
