DENVER — In November, voters may get the chance to decide whether to redirect a portion of state sales tax to fund improvements to roads, highways and bridges across Colorado.
Two proposed ballot measures, filed by a former contractor and a tech executive, would require state sales and use taxes collected on vehicles, gas, rideshare services, delivery services, auto parts, equipment and accessories to go toward transportation improvements.
Dustin Zvonek, a leader at the lobbying group called 76 Group that's backing the measure, said money spent on roads should go back toward fixing roads.
"This is money already being collected from Uber fees, from GrubHub fees, from taxes we pay when we buy cars or car parts. It's already being collected. It's just ensuring that it's going to be allocated to improving the condition of our roads," Zvonek said.
76 Group said the measures are in response to more than $100 million in cuts to state transportation funds during last year's legislative session. The lobbying group said in a press release on Tuesday that Coloradans continue to have mounting concerns over Colorado's deteriorating infrastructure.
“The state is going in the wrong direction. Every year, we put off adequately funding our roads, and every year, the problem gets worse,” President and CEO of the Colorado Contractor’s Association Tony Milo said. “Our roads and highways are the state’s backbone and must be our top priority.”
Vicky Wacker lives in Brighton and spoke with Denver7 about her concerns with major potholes along a stretch of Interstate 76 near East 168th Ave.
- Dashcam video shot by Denver7 shows a stretch of potholes splitting two lanes along I-76 near E. 168th Ave. Watch in the video player below:
"I'm really ashamed of how Colorado has not taken care of our roads," Wacker said. "And when people come and visit us from out of state, that's the first thing they say is, what horrible, horrible roads we have."
Denver7 reached out to the Colorado state legislature's Joint Budget Committee for more insight into the decision to cut money from transportation funds during last year's legislative session. We are still waiting to hear back.
A spokesperson for the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) said while CDOT does not take positions on ballot initiatives, the proposed measure would take money from other areas like education and health care.
You can read CDOT's entire statement in response to the proposed ballot measures here:
“CDOT and other executive agencies do not take positions on ballot initiatives. However, as drafted, these initiatives would take money from the state’s General Fund, which primarily funds health care, education, and a broad portfolio of other state responsibilities. This at a time of significant budget shortfalls could have devastating impacts. This redirection of sales taxes on motor vehicle parts, equipment, materials, and accessories would further cut resources to critical programs that rely on the General Fund for resources. Further, while these initiatives aim to redirect enterprise fees for road transportation, it’s likely these fees would no longer be able to be collected and spent while remaining TABOR compliant. This could result in $82 million less revenue for clean transportation projects like transit, but no new funding for roads.”
Zvonek said he believes when budgets are tight, transportation funding is often the first to be cut.
"The easiest place for elected officials to cut is from transportation, or to underfund, is transportation," Zvonek said. "Reducing the funding that goes to roads is a lot easier than reducing it to some other program that they can feel the human effect, or they have somebody come and tell their, you know, really true and heartfelt story. But people don't do that when it comes to roads."
