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1. #GRAND VALLEY DRAINAGE DIATRICT GJ SENTINEL HOW TO#
2. #GRAND VALLEY DRAINAGE DIATRICT GJ SENTINEL FULL VERSION#
3. #GRAND VALLEY DRAINAGE DIATRICT GJ SENTINEL TRIAL#

#GRAND VALLEY DRAINAGE DIATRICT GJ SENTINEL HOW TO#

“We encourage all of our members to review the information provided so that they may make an informed decision on how to proceed with the invoices,” the chamber wrote to its members. The state constitution requires that businesses pay higher property tax rates than residences. The chamber is considering withholding payment on its drainage district bill until it’s clear the district has the authority to demand the fees on top of the property taxes they pay to the district. In the ruling, the court also found that the fee was “reasonably related to the overall cost of providing services related to water drainage and water-related activities in the service area.” The district has maintained the fee is indeed that and points on its web page to a 2015 decision in which an Adams County judge upheld a stormwater fee after finding that the county’s stormwater utility was a government-owned business that receives less than 10 percent of its funds from state and local authorities combined and is consequently exempt from the requirements of the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights. “We want you to know there are still numerous questions about the GVDD’s process, in particular whether the bills are even legal: rather than a ‘fee,’ this may actually be a ‘tax’ that must be voted on by those affected before the money may be collected,” the chamber wrote this week to its members.

The Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce, meanwhile, raised questions about whether the fees are legal under the Colorado Constitution.

The bills mark the beginning of the district’s effort to collect about $2.5 million this year for stormwater management projects.Ī significant chunk of that money will come from outside Colorado, district General Manager Tim Ryan said. The Grand Valley Drainage District has collected $10,000 so far in stormwater collection fees, even before most district residents have opened their invoices, the drainage district said.

#GRAND VALLEY DRAINAGE DIATRICT GJ SENTINEL FULL VERSION#

And the idea that citizens and businesses should not be taxed outside of the law is an idea the Chamber is proud to champion.Ĭlick here to download full version of the Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce September 2016 Newsletter.From The Grand Junction Daily Sentinel (Dennis Webb): The Drainage District may prevail in this lawsuit if the courts eventually say it has the power to collect its “fee.” At the end of the day, though, power has the second to last word. This harms business owners, their employees, and the customers they serve. But doing it this way sets a dangerous precedent that undermines Colorado’s constitution and threatens the ability of businesses to manage overhead costs. The Chamber agrees the Grand Valley needs expanded capacity for drainage. The result is a “fee” exception that swallows the TABOR rule: What prevents another entity from imposing a new “technology fee” or “equipment fee” on businesses? What prevents the Drainage District from upping next year’s residential fee to $360, or pegging the fee for a business at $10,000? The court’s initial ruling said that as long as the Drainage District invoked the right words when adopting this “fee,” then it’s not a tax. Here’s why the Chamber will press on: News reports frequently mention the $36 annual assessment on homes, but rarely mention the $300, $1,500, and $6,000 assessments the Drainage District will impose on individual businesses and non-profits every year. Declaring “chances are slim” now is akin to declaring a baseball game over after the first inning. The case’s only ruling thus far has been to deny a preliminary injunction. The Grand Junction Area Chamber of Commerce respectfully disagrees with the Sentinel’s assertion that “chances are slim” the Chamber and Mesa County will succeed in challenging the Grand Valley Drainage District’s storm water fee as an impermissible tax (“Pay the drainage bill,” ). With some area businesses being hit with annual bills of $5,000 to $8,000 or more, this is a critical business issue that the Chamber will continue to pursue in an effort to help create a favorable business climate in which to help grow the economy and jobs. It is the hope of both sides, however, that a decision will be reached sooner than that based upon the motions filed by the parties.

#GRAND VALLEY DRAINAGE DIATRICT GJ SENTINEL TRIAL#

A meeting was held with the new judge in the case, Judge Timbreza, late last month and a trial date was set for early June, 2017. The legal challenge to the Grand Valley Drainage District fee by the Chamber and Mesa County continues to wind its way through the court system.