5 Ways to Celebrate Colorado Day
Tuesday, August 1st marks Colorado’s 147th birthday! From our Rocky Mountains, triumphant sports teams, 300 days of sunshine, and uniquely connected communities, Colorado is beloved by those of us who call it home.
Though it may be a bit nerdy, we at Colorado Fiscal Institute never miss a chance to explain how many of the things that make our state so worthy of celebration depend on our tax code. This includes a robust network of cultural, outdoor, and educational programming supported by our state and local governments. Here are five ways to celebrate Colorado Day this year, all funded by taxpayers across the state.
1. Check out a book from your local public library.
Public libraries in Colorado are funded primarily by local governments, meaning their funding is an appropriation of city or county property and sales tax revenue. They also received state funding in 2022 and 2023 thanks to the Colorado Library Law, which appropriated at least $4,500 each to 97% of libraries across Colorado.
The Denver Post names 10 books by Colorado authors you can check out today!
2. Take a boat out on a local lake or reservoir.
Colorado has more than 4,000 lakes and reservoirs. Not all of them are safe or legal to boat or swim in, so make sure to do your research before showing up with a swimsuit and floaties.
The Colorado tax code helps preserve the native ecosystems of our reservoirs and lakes by funding the Aquatic Nuisance Species Program (ANSP), which checks boats at lakes and reservoirs to ensure they do not spread ecosystem-threatening, potentially non-native species between bodies of water. Oil and natural gas producers pay severance taxes in Colorado, which are used to pay for the ANSP, other mitigation efforts, and the preservation of our natural resources, outdoor spaces, and ecosystems. Colorado Parks and Wildlife receives funding from severance taxes, as well as other increasingly important departments responsible for programs such as fire mitigation and species conservation.
Although, severance tax revenue is inherently volatile and can change from year to year due to global resource prices. Diversifying our tax base in counties that are highly dependent on severance tax revenue would ensure Coloradans are able to enjoy our outdoor spaces for years to come.
3. Visit the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.
One major source of public funding for many nonprofit educational organizations in the Denver metro area is the Science and Cultural Facilities District (SCFD). The SCFD is made up of Adams, Arapahoe, Boulder, Broomfield, Denver, Douglas and Jefferson counties. Via the SCFD, 1 cent of every $10 in sales and use taxes (0.10%) is used to fund culturally-enriching programs, supporting over 300 organizations, including the Denver Museum of Nature and Science.
The SCFD was created by the Colorado legislature in the 1980s, and it serves as one example of our elected officials leveraging the tax code to further the economic and intellectual interests of Colorado taxpayers. In 2016 voters opted to renew the SCFD until at least 2030. For Colorado Day, CFI celebrates this use of public funds to preserve our access to various forms of knowledge and culture, a widespread value in Colorado.
Other beneficiaries of the SCFD fund include the Denver Center for the Performing Arts, Denver Art Museum, and Denver Botanic Gardens. Thanks to the SCFD, many membership organizations are also able to provide free days throughout the year. Click here for the SCFD free day calendar!
4. Walk the Pikes Peak Greenway in Colorado Springs.
The Colorado Springs TOPS sales and use tax is similar to the Science and Cultural Facilities District. Every 0.10% of sales and use taxes is used to fund the maintenance and preservation of open spaces and trails in the Colorado Springs area. Colorado Springs voters recently opted to renew the tax for the next 20 years. The program is administered by the Parks, Recreation, and Cultural Services Department.
Thanks to TOPS, residents and visitors can walk the 16-mile Pikes Peak Greenway, which connects with various other popular and beautiful trails across Colorado Springs. A favorite of local students and dirt bikers, the Red Rocks Canyon Open Space in Colorado Springs was also purchased with money raised by the TOPS tax.
5. Go all-out for Colorado at the Colorado State Fair. (August 25th – September 4th)
The Colorado State Fair is held annually at our state fairgrounds in Pueblo. This year, the fair will feature such acts as the popular country band Lady A, comedian Gabriel Iglesias, and Pat Benatar & Neil Giraldo. The Colorado State Fair also features four days of rodeos.
Each year, money is transferred from the Colorado General Fund (where statewide income and sales tax revenue goes) to the Department of Agriculture for use by the State Fair. The Fair boosts Pueblo’s local economy and provides a hub for community, connecting Coloradans from across the state. In 2021, the Fair launched their master plan to modernize their facilities, expand their attractions, and make the Fair even more accessible to Colorado’s diverse populations.
Tax revenue preserves and expands the things we love.
From Denver metro, to the Western Slope, to the Eastern Plains, taxpayers across our state are responsible for much of the preservation of our cherished culture of recreation, play, and learning. At CFI, we’re celebrating Colorado’s 147th birthday by taking stock of all the things we know and love about our state, and with a deep appreciation for the taxpayers who ensure those things live on.
