Southwest

The ruling by a state judge comes in a lawsuit that pointed to unequal access by public school districts to local property taxes and bonds.

The fiscal 2026 budget would increase police and fire funding by $63.1 million as the city works to comply with a voter-approved public safety spending mandate.

A flow of public dollars to private schools has raised credit concerns about public schools and spurred litigation in Southwest states.

The measure would lower the percentage increase in property tax revenue larger cities and counties can tap for operations without seeking voter approval.

Officials are considering selling more voter-approved bonds for the stalled project, which could be jumpstarted with a phased-in construction approach.

City council approval of a five-part bond proposition for the Nov. 4 ballot comes as Denver faces a two-year, $250 million budget shortfall.

The state faces a $1.2 billion revenue hit in fiscal 2026 , as well as future spending pressures, from President Trump's One Big Beautiful Bill.

Legislation that would put a tighter limit on property tax increases for larger cities and counties advanced out of a Senate committee on Friday.

The city council signed off on an $810 million debt sale, while it considers asking voters for a property tax rate increase this year to address budget gaps.

Port Freeport's decision to go property tax-free resulted in a revenue bond rating downgrade from S&P and raised disclosure questions.