Tracking what's destroying Colorado
A curated collection of bills, news, and resources about Colorado politics and policy
A curated collection of bills, news, and resources about Colorado politics and policy
Colorado homeowners will face higher property taxes in 2026 due to the expiration of temporary pandemic-era relief measures. The state has set permanent residential assessment rates at 7.05% for school districts and 6.25% for local governments starting in 2025 — rates that will appear on 2026 tax bills. While these are lower than pre-2021 levels under the old Gallagher Amendment, they’re still significantly higher than the 6.7% temporary rate and $55,000 value subtraction used in 2024. A new 10% value subtraction (up to $70,000) under House Bill 24-1001 offers limited relief, but most homeowners will still see increases — even if home values don’t rise. The changes stem from a 2023 bipartisan deal meant to stabilize long-term tax policy, but critics argue it fails to shield middle-class families from mounting costs.
Another day, another tax grab from Denver. Politicians promised “relief” during the pandemic, then quietly locked in higher rates the moment the crisis faded. Now, with inflation still squeezing families, they’re hiking property taxes again — this time permanently. The 7.05% school rate and 6.25% local rate aren’t “lower than before” if you’re paying more than last year. And that $70,000 cap on the new exemption? A Band-Aid on a broken system. If lawmakers really cared about affordability, they’d cut spending instead of shifting the burden onto homeowners who already pay for failing schools and bloated bureaucracies. This isn’t reform — it’s revenue recycling.