Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser visited Pagosa Springs yesterday, Wednesday September 10, and fielded a range of questions from an audience that took up most of the table space at Uncle’s Bar and Social Club. We’ll share some of his answers in a future Daily Post editorial, with the understanding that Mr. Weiser is also a declared candidate for Governor in the November 2026 election. He described his appearance in Pagosa, however, as part of his ongoing duties as Attorney General.
AG Weiser, who is a Democrat, encouraged the audience members to stay politically involved as we work through the current chaos evident in Washington DC.
He is term limited as Attorney General.
A much smaller crowd turned out an hour later at the Archuleta County administration building, where the three commissioners had scheduled a ‘listening session’ to hear from local builders, following a massive shake-up of the County building and planning departments. A previous meeting, a month ago, had been ‘standing room only’. The commissioners and members of the audience seemed willing to interpret the light turnout as evidence of improved department operations.
The only local tax increase measure headed for the ballot this November appears to be a proposed 1% Town-only sales tax, to be used for repairs and upgrades to the Pagosa Springs Sanitation General Improvement District (PSSGID) sewer system. It is “Town-only” in two senses. Only voters within the town limits will vote on the measure; and the tax revenues will be used, basically, within the town limits.
In Part One, we discussed a possible tax increase measure being considered by the Archuleta School Board — a bond measure to finance a new PK-8 building that has been provisionally recommended by a citizen advisory group. The bond issue, as presented during a recent survey of voters, was estimated at $218 million, including interest payments. The School Board has indicated its intention of placing this tax measure on the November 2026 ballot.
It seems likely that statewide tax measures will also appear on the November 2026 ballot.
The other possible local tax increase under discussion for November 2026 has been kicked around by the Archuleta Board of County Commissioners. In this case, the potential tax increase would involve the County Lodgers Tax, which is paid by visitors staying in motels and vacation rentals located outside the town limits. That tax, currently set at 1.9% of room charges, is not paid by local residents, which might make an increase palatable to the county voters.
According to recent Colorado legislation, a county government may — with voter approval — collect up to a 6% Lodgers Tax, and may — also with voters approval — spend the Lodgers Tax on community needs such as housing, child care, and infrastructure. Previously, counties were limited to a maximum tax of 2%, and could use the Lodgers Tax only for tourism marketing and advertising.
As mentioned, any changes to the Archuleta County Lodgers Tax must be voter-approved. At recent listening sessions hosted by the BOCC, all three commissioners sounded open to the idea of putting proposed changes before the voters in November 2026. Such changes would likely include an increased tax and new allowable uses, such as housing and infrastructure.
The Town of Pagosa Springs collects its own, separate 4.9% Lodgers Tax, and is allowed to use the revenues for any tourism-related use. (My reading of the original Town ordinance suggests that the Town Council can already use a portion of their Lodgers Tax for non-tourism uses, but unfortunately I’m not the Town’s attorney.)
I heard a rumor yesterday from a person connected with the Town government that the Town Council might be considering their own Lodgers Tax increase, which again would need voter approval. But this proposal — if genuine — is not scheduled for the 2025 election.
If the Town and County each set their Lodgers Tax at the same level — say, 6% — this would “level the playing field” among our various lodging companies and vacation rentals, regardless of where they are located.
Would the community’s voters support a 6% Lodgers Tax for both jurisdictions? I have to assume so. Approving a tax that someone else has to pay is always the easiest.
Another tax measure we might face in November 2026 has been proposed by a group of liberal advocacy organizations — The Protect Colorado’s Future coalition — including the Bell Policy Center, Colorado Fiscal Institute, the Colorado Children’s Campaign, Great Education Colorado, the Colorado Statewide Parents Coalition, the Colorado Center on Law and Policy, New Era Colorado, the Colorado Consumer Health Initiative, the Blueprint to End Hunger, Colorado Counties and Commissioners Acting Together, the Colorado Cross-Disability Coalition, and the Colorado Organization for Latina Opportunity and Reproductive Rights.
This proposed 2026 ballot measure would change the state constitution to allow a graduated income tax rate in Colorado. Supporters claim it could raise more than $2 billion each year for services like health care, education and public safety, by increasing income taxes on people earning at least $506,000 in annual taxable income. The proposal would lower the income taxes on people earning less — that is, the vast majority of Colorado taxpayers.
Currently, the Colorado constitution specifies that all residents must pay same income tax rate, regardless of income.
The proposal faces two main challenges.
1. Getting the required 125,000 voter signatures, including at least 2% of the voters in each Colorado Senate district.
2. Passing the measure by the necessary voter majority. Normally, Colorado ballot measures that add provisions to the constitution require a 55% majority, but this measure would remove language from the constitution, and thus could be passed by a simple majority. (Or so it has been reported by at least one major media source.)
You can learn more about the The Protect Colorado’s Future coalition proposal here.