Week of December 8, 2022
FREE
DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
HighlandsRanchHerald.net
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 12 | LIFE: PAGE 14 | CALENDAR: PAGE 17 | SPORTS: PAGE 24
VOLUME 36 | ISSUE 1
Ads opposing Democrat are under investigation Financing source questioned BY MCKENNA HARFORD MHARFORD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
The state partners with local communities to increase and preserve Colorado’s affordable housing stock, manage rentalassistance vouchers, and address homelessness, says the state’s “blue book” voter guide, noting the state Department of Local Affairs is involved. The current budget for the department’s affordable housing initiatives is about $200 million, about half of which is from state sources, with the rest coming from federal sources. Since 2021, the state has allocated more than $1.2 billion from the federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 for
affordable housing and services that address housing insecurity, lack of affordable and workforce housing, or homelessness. (The Urban Land Institute defines “workforce” households as those earning between 60% and 120% of the area median income.) These are one-time funds that will be spent over the next several years on: • Emergency rental assistance; • Homeowner mortgage assistance; • Tax credits for developers; • Housing and infrastructure; • And other housing solutions, such as manufactured homes.
reduce the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, or TABOR, refunds that Coloradans receive — by $86 per taxpayer for 2024, for example. Yet voters in November also sought to reduce their taxes and, taken together, the changes could lead to difficult decisions down the road, said Scott Wasserman, who leads the nonprofit Bell Policy Center, which advocates for economic mobility for Coloradans. He called the passage of the measure “bittersweet.”
“I think what makes it bitter is that it passed in conjunction with Proposition 121,” a measure voters approved to lower the state income tax rate, Wasserman said. Proposition 121 is expected to take a roughly $400-million bite out of the state budget next year while Proposition 123 will eventually increase spending about $290 million yearly. State Rep. Rod Bockenfeld, a
The Colorado Secretary of State’s Office is investigating an alleged campaign finance violation for advertising and a website opposing the Democratic candidate for Highlands Ranch’s House District 43. A complaint filed by Angela Thomas, the chair of the Douglas County Democrats, on Oct. 31 alleges Highlands Ranch resident Aaron Wood and an organization, DougCo Protective, bought advertising and a website to oppose representative elect Bob Marshall’s campaign for Colorado House District 43 without including the legally required disclaimer of who paid for the campaign materials. Thomas’ complaint cites the website BobsNot4Colorado.com, social media in the same name, signs in Highlands Ranch directing people to the website and an electronic billboard on a truck that said Marshall brought a confederate flag to a rally for former president Donald Trump. None of the campaign materials have a paid-for-by disclaimer. On Nov. 15, the Colorado Secretary of State’s Office determined potential violations of campaign finance law for not including the disclaimer on the website and advertising. However, in a response to the complaint, Aaron Wood provided receipts for the website BobsNot4Colorado. com and stickers with the same website that show he paid less than $200 for the campaign materials.
SEE HOUSING, P10
SEE ADS, P2
With voter approval, Colorado will embark on how to have more affordable housing statewide.
SHUTTERSTOCK IMAGE
Affordable housing initiative could face rocky future Proposition 123 was approved by Colorado voters BY ELLIS ARNOLD EARNOLD@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Few issues affect Coloradans as much as rising housing prices. The state will take a step toward addressing the problem — to the tune of hundreds of millions of dollars per year — as officials implement Proposition 123 approved by voters in November. In just 12 years, the median cost of a single-family home in the Denver area jumped from about $200,000 to three times that amount, according to the latest report by the Colorado Association of Realtors. The trend was similar statewide. Under Proposition 123, state officials are required to set money aside for more affordable housing and programs to help Coloradans acquire homes and stay housed. Though the measure didn’t raise tax rates to fund those programs, it will, eventually,
WHAT COLORADO CURRENTLY DOES ON AFFORDABLE HOUSING