With cuts to federal funds, property tax revenue, nonprofits need locals to help

As someone who has used this platform to argue in favor of property tax cuts, I think it’s only fair I use this space to give a glimpse into some of the downside to those cuts.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m in favor of what the Legislature did to cut taxes 25% across the board and add a homesteader exemption, which will give homeowners a welcome reprieve after years of quickly escalating taxes. As I’ve said before, in principle no one should lose a property they’ve paid for because they can’t pay taxes on it.

But, as Commissioner Kelly Simone noted Tuesday, one consequence of a roughly $2.5 million cut in the county budget is there isn’t a lot of extra money to help nonprofit organizations make up for their likely losses of some sources of federal funds.

Actions have consequences, and while I still feel this year’s property tax cuts were warranted as a way to offset the rises of the last couple of years (the property taxes of my house outside Ralston are up 50% since 2021), it’s important to at least have an idea of where our tax dollars are going.

On the positive side, many of these organizations are happy to accept donations and hold fundraisers throughout the year. So, for homeowners with a little extra funding and the means to do it, I urge you to take a look at some of these worthy organizations and consider helping them cover some of the shortfall in federal funding.

Organizations such as Crisis Intervention Services, Youth Clubs of Park County, the senior centers, food pantries and others do great and important work in the area that often goes unnoticed. As Commissioner Scott Mangold mentioned when speaking with the representative from the Youth Clubs of Park County, which operates affordable after school and summer programs for youths, “It’s a great service to have here in Park County and I’d hate for something like that to go,” he said.

I agree.