Referendum A proposes boosting funds for Colorado's open space

Referendum A proposes boosting funds for Colorado's open space

October 9, 2001

By Janelle Holden
journal staff writer

How to preserve open space in Colorado is by no means an easy question. Controlling Colorado’s growth has been the subject of four sessions of the Colorado Legislature and a controversial citizens’ initiative on last year’s ballot.

But amid the contentious debate, both the Legislature and opposing lobbyists of last year’s Amendment 24 have come together to support an open-space referendum, one of two state ballot questions voters will see on mail-in ballots sent to them this month.

Referendum A would give Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) the authority to borrow money by issuing bonds of up to $115 million. The money would go to governmental entities or nonprofit organizations to purchase land for open space; GOCO cannot acquire land in its own name.

In total, GOCO could rack up $180 million in debt if the referendum passes. Any debt GOCO incurs must be repaid within 20 years or within the time the lottery is authorized.

GOCO is funded with around 50 percent of Colorado lottery proceeds, and the bonds would be repaid entirely with these proceeds. According to supporters, issuing bonds would not increase state taxes or reduce state tax refunds. However, opponents of the measure argue in the legislative council blue book to voters that the measure may increase property taxes.

"Reducing the amount of privately owned land may drive up land prices and may increase property taxes paid by private landowners. The federal government and the state already own 42 percent of Colorado’s land. Colorado’s remaining land should continue to be privately owned for future generations," opponents argue.

Opponents also argue that GOCO has enough money to buy land already, GOCO has already promised more than it has to give, and other state open-space programs are sufficient for Colorado’s needs.

On the Open Space for Colorado Committee, the group supporting the measure, is former House Majority Leader Chris Paulson and naturalist John Fielder, who squared off over Amendment 24, a growth-control measure, which failed last year.

One other member of the committee is Scott Tipton, a Cortez business owner. Tipton says the measure is more about being able to buy land when it becomes available than about increasing GOCO’s spending power.

"I think it’s not an issue of more money as it is about timing," explained Tipton. "Given the rapid increase in terms of how property values have gone up on the Front Range and some of our resort areas, the opportunity only comes along every now and then to where the individual landowner will say, ‘OK, I’d like to sell my property.’ This creates the opportunity for GOPAC to come in and be able to preserve some of this land."

But supporters say the money would only go to fund urgent requests to purchase land from willing sellers.

"This isn’t a matter of condemnation by eminent domain," explained Tipton. "In the vast majority of cases, that more than likely will fall in the boundary of a county or city government to pursue something like that, so it is kind of a win-win situation."

GOCO was created in 1992 to help support wildlife, outdoor recreation, open space, and related local government projects. A 15-member board, appointed by the governor and confirmed by the state Senate, picks the projects GOCO chooses to fund. Since its inception, up to June 2001, GOCO has awarded $265.9 million in grants for 1,678 state projects. Over 238,000 acres of open space, including 129,000 acres of agricultural land and 47,000 acres of state park and wildlife areas have been protected so far.

According to Referendum A’s supporters, GOCO receives grant requests for more than three times as much money as they can fund.

If land prices increase at a faster rate than the interest rate on the bonds, bonding allows GOCO to purchase more total land with the same revenues.

"Given our current climate in Colorado, with escalating land prices that we’re seeing here in Montezuma County as well, and the various degrees of percentage of increase throughout the entire state — we need to be at the front end of this in terms of trying to preserve why people come to this state and why we all choose to live here and love it," said Tipton.