Nearly 24,000 Coloradans will seemingly vanish from the state’s population count this year due to a TABOR calculation error, leading to a potential $77 million cut in public services.
The error stems from outdated formulas that fail to account for Census corrections, underestimating population growth.
Lawmakers on the Joint Budget Committee are considering a rare legislative fix to prevent similar miscalculations in the future.
While there’s bipartisan support, legislators are cautious about appearing to bypass TABOR rules, as the change could impact taxpayer refunds. Even with a fix, Colorado still faces a $1 billion budget shortfall.
