I just came from the August 11th County Commissioners meeting and, like all the ones I’ve seen before, it leaves you with more questions than answers. Today I attended because Commissioners were discussing the $19 million tax incentive that they ultimately did approve for a data center in Parker.
Throughout the discussion the point was made that County Commissioners would approve any request to waive the Business Personal Property Tax (BPPT) that comes before them. That begs the question: why don’t they just eliminate the tax for everyone the way Jefferson County has already done. Jefferson County Commissioners are all Democrats by the way. Which I mention because the Douglas County Commissioners repeatedly mention their conservative, anti-tax bonafides yet their liberal peers in JeffCo are out way ahead of them on eliminating a major business tax obligation… and somehow the DougCo Commissioners can’t find their way to that solution with six hands and three microphones.
I’m sure they will now though.
If you suspend your disbelief for a moment, they’re otherwise making a good point. It is a regressive tax that is unfairly distributed. It hurts small-businesses the most and massive corporations have the most to gain from a waiver. Rather than open the flood gates to businesses in Douglas County applying for an exemption… just nix the levy. Problem solved.
If you’re not a tax accountant, a quick briefing on the BPPT. It’s a Colorado tax on machinery, equipment, furniture and other movable goods you use for commercial purposes. Counties collect their portion of the tax as do other jurisdictions. On today’s agenda the county, from their view, was just following their policy of dolling out a tax benefit if you come to them on bended knee.
Perhaps they don’t eliminate the tax because they could only take credit for that once, whereas carting in applicants to approve their waiver request allows you to give out patronage indefinitely.
Some cocktail napkin math I need to confirm says the BPPT represents about 1%-2% of the county’s overall revenue. That’s one of the reasons they can so liberally waive it. Even if that calculation isn’t quite right the BPPT clearly is not mission critical to funding county operations, but it would buy a lot of firefighting, school resource officers, and youth sports complex contamination remediation. So if you’re going to have it at all… either apply it fairly or we have ways to use it.
The Commissioners made a point to shift the blame for the existence of the data center to the Town of Parker. In that they are correct, the BOCC did not approve it and they cannot easily prohibit it. You don’t get the sense that they would stop a data center, in fact Commissioner Teal waxed at length about his role in economic development, but they would like you to know this one is not on them. If one comes to town it sure seems like they will rubber stamp a data center in unincorporated Douglas County.
Hot Topic: Public Comment
The topic of how Commissioners have curtailed public comment came up repeatedly. I want to clarify that issue for folks. The Commissioners have eliminated open public comment, which is to say your ability to comment on any topic whatsoever. Instead they limit comments to items on their agenda.
No county neighboring Douglas County does this. In Elbert, Arapahoe, Jefferson, or Teller you can come speak to any issue. That is also the case for every city or town council I have checked in Douglas County. The benefit of that is that you can put forward problems that might not be on the agenda or weigh-in on a public issue that does not happen to be on the list for discussion that day. Indeed the 1st Amendment envisions this right as the ability to “petition the government for a redress of grievances.”
Commissioners have also plainly cherry picked who comments in the past, using sign-up sheets to usher supporters to the front of the line and then conveniently run out of time for opposition. So the playbook is this: eliminate free comment, control limited comment.
In January they also suggested they would host “office hours” for citizens to meet with them. Eight months later and no office hours.
The ability to come before your elected officials and levy your complaints strikes at the heart of what a democracy should be. If elected officials are deciding what you get to speak about… then they are controlling your speech. I don’t know how George Teal, Abe Laydon, and Kevin Van Winkle are able to reconcile their purported love of freedom with a systemic infringement on speech. Laydon took a swing and said today what they don’t allow in public comment is “political theatre.”
With as much respect as I can muster: then stop taking a picture with everyone you congratulate at your meetings. That’s political theatre. That’s using public office to stand next to people who have achieved something and share their stage. That’s the first 30-45 minutes of every meeting. You allow Zebulon “supporters” (many of them non-voting children) you cart in to bring in noisy signage against your own sign policies for… you guessed it… political theatre. Taxpayers are funding professional production videos of the Commissioners at the rodeo cosplaying as cowboys. Genuinely, if ironically, entertaining theatre.
You cannot bring the performative acts you like to town and then cry foul when the circus shows up.
Commissioners… you took a 71-29 blowout loss at the ballot box in June 2025 and burnt $700,000 of taxpayer money in the process. It’s pretty clear the reason you’re controlling public comment is that you cannot withstand opening the floodgate of criticism on any number of issues. And who knows what schemes are still to come.
Insulting public commenters and telling them to hurry up and get to their point and stop talking does not create a welcoming atmosphere. And if the BPPT is so immoral, why do they allow it to continue?
Barrett,
Exactly right on eliminating BPP tax, and that should be done immediately state wide. It's an unnecessary headache for both business and government. Also, agree that the tax lands hardest on small independent businesses who can least afford to pay it or fight it. Lastly, the charge that BPPT is an "honesty tax" is well founded in most states because of lax auditing/enforcement practices.
Great article!