CML 2024 Legislative Priorities

The availability and affordability of housing is of utmost concern to Colorado’s municipalities. CML supports state incentives that support communities’ efforts to build affordable housing and appropriate state assistance in strategic planning.  CML supports the state addressing construction defects litigation reform as a means to increase the availability of affordable housing. CML opposes state preemption of local authority to adopt and enforce zoning and land use ordinances and any interference with home rule authority granted by Art. XX, S. 6 of the Colorado Constitution.

CML supports the greatest amount of local control possible for liquor licensing and permitting. The league also supports coordination with the Colorado Liquor Enforcement Division (LED) and working with the LED to modernize, clarify, and harmonize Colorado’s Liquor Code and Rules to provide consumers with protection and promote public safety initiatives.

CML supports collaborative relationships with the state on criminal justice issues but opposes unduly prescriptive mandates on police and court operations and procedures, as well as expansion of municipal liability and removal of liability caps. CML supports legislation to improve the efficiency of and reduce redundancies in the police body worn camera statute.

CML supports measures that promote intergovernmental cooperation on land use issues and supports state laws and policies that encourage new residential, commercial, and industrial development to occur within existing municipalities. CML opposes the sprawl of urban, suburban, or exurban development into rural and unincorporated areas of the state.  CML supports the prohibition of the incorporation of new cities and towns adjacent to, or within the service areas of, existing municipalities.  CML opposes efforts to restrict municipal annexation authority.

CML and 67 self-collecting home rule municipalities support efforts to simplify collection efforts without impairing local control, including collection of remote sales taxes in a manner that complies with South Dakota vs. Wayfair. CML supports the state in their efforts to partner with the business community and supports municipalities that self-collect their sales and use taxes and opposes any effort to undermine constitutional home rule authority to set tax policy and manage tax administration and audits. CML opposes state efforts to mandate the amount of information municipalities can collect from businesses which can be used for auditing purposes, tourism information, and ensuring compliance with local ordinances. CML opposes the infringement of the state into local lodging tax policy. CML supports property tax policies that do not reduce local government revenue and allow municipalities the flexibility to retain excess revenue and modify debt service mill levies, among other tools.

CML supports state funding for transportation system infrastructure improvements that seek to prevent vehicular collisions with vulnerable road users.  CML also supports state grants to promote youth utilization of public transit. CML opposes “off-the-top” diversions from the Highway Users Tax Fund (HUTF).

CML opposes state statutes that violate the state’s unfunded mandate statute, as well as the prohibition on unfunded mandates in the Taxpayers Bill of Rights (TABOR), and place additional fiscal burdens on local governments and their taxpayers.