CONEJOS — The Conejos Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) Friday, Aug. 9 unanimously approved a resolution placing a proposed 2.75 percent sales tax on the November ballot to fund general county operations.

During the meeting, the commissioners agreed it is in the best interests of present and future residents of the county that a specific new countywide sales tax be created with all revenues therefrom to be used to fund Conejos County operations.

The question will be on the coordinated election ballot Nov. 5, 2019 since voter approval is required under the Taxpayers Bill of Rights (TABOR).

The question

“Shall Conejos County taxes be increased by $1,095,985 annually (estimated first fiscal year dollar increase) and by whatever additional amounts raised annually thereafter by the imposition of an additional countywide sales tax at a rate of 2.75 percent beginning Jan. 1, 2020, with all revenues generated from the tax, regardless of amount and costs of collection to be deposited into the Conejos County general fund for the purpose of funding general operations of Conejos County and shall Conejos county be authorized to receive, retain and spend in the year 2020 and each subsequent year, all revenues including investment income, it received from this sales tax as a voter-approved revenue change and an exception to the revenue and spending limits of article X section 20 of the Colorado Constitution or any other law all pursuant to and as further provided in proposal and resolution No. C-25-19 of the Board of County Commissioners of Conejos County?

TABOR constraints

Section 20 is also known as the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights or TABOR, which took effect Dec. 31, 1992.

Proposed by Denver businessman Douglas Bruce, its preferred interpretation was to restrain most the growth of government. Removal of the constraints has been known as "De Brucing."