Petitions circulating on grab bag of 2010 ballot measures

If petition circulators are successful, Colorado voters will have the usual menu of controversial proposals to pore over on the November 2010 ballot.

The four measures, ranging from recognizing same-sex marriage to barring the state from borrowing, have been OK'd for circulation by state officials.

Operating under new rules this year, circulators have six months to collect 76,047 valid signatures of registered voters on each petition to qualify for the ballot.

For the first time, petition circulators, including those being paid to collect signatures, must be licensed with the Secretary of State's Office. Another change is that signers can have their signatures removed by submitting a request before the petition is submitted.

A proposed constitutional amendment, No. 21, would bar the state and its political entities, including counties, from borrowing, require voter approval of local governments' borrowing, limit local voter-approved borrowing to 10 years and force local governments to reduce taxes.

Measure 21, if passed, would force El Paso County to cut taxes by roughly $8 million a year after debts are paid off.

"At first blush this would not be beneficial to the county or our residents," El Paso County Commissioner Sallie Clark said. "It would mean more reductions to services."

Douglas Bruce of Colorado Springs, author of the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights adopted in 1992 by statewide voters, wouldn't say if he's promoting the measure.

The proponents on record with the secretary of state, Russell Haas of Golden and Michelle Northrup of Black Hawk, couldn't be reached for comment.

Other measures:

· No. 6 - A proposed constitutional amendment recognizing same-sex marriages.

· No. 10 - A proposed law reducing vehicle ownership taxes over four years to nominal amounts and phasing in over four years a $10,000 vehicle sales price tax exemption. It also would lower the state income tax rate to 4.5 percent and phase in a reduction to 3.5 percent and end state and local taxes on telecommunication accounts, except 911 charges.

· No. 12 - A proposed constitutional amendment allowing petitions to lower property taxes, requiring enterprises and authorities to pay property taxes but offsetting those revenues with lower tax rates, barring enterprises and appointed boards from levying fees or taxes on property, and requiring school districts to cut property tax rates and replace the revenue with state aid.

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