The first time in 124 years. But even longtime fiscal conservatives in the local republican establishment say TaxCut 2000 goes way too far. To further his case, Kile posted his analysis of the amendment's effects on the El Paso County Web site. Already, the county is grappling with proposals to cut nonessential services such as its parks department, in order to deal with current funding shortfalls. Such estimates are one reason many business owners are deeply concerned about the measure's effect on fire insurance, which is pegged to the quality of local fire fighting service.
Many local districts rely on such revenue for equipment maintenance, training and operating costs.
Critics of 21 say there's no guarantee that property assessments will continue to rise. A downturn in government services, negative insurance ratings, deteriorating schools and roads, or even a slowdown in the national economy could lead to stagnant property values, they note. For his part, Bruce conceded that property values have gone down in the past, but he said it's very unlikely that they would remain down for long enough to completely erode government services. In any event, he said, the state will bail out local districts that lose their revenue base. Bruce had intended to include language in the amendment that would require such bailouts, but critics challenged the provisions saying it violated the state's two-subject rule, which prohibits amendments from including numerous provisions.