Initiatives Aimed At Property Taxes, Hunting Methods Filed

Groups hoping to lower property taxes and prohibit some hunting methods filed initiatives Friday with the secretary of state.

They will need to gather more than 181,000 signatures by July 5 in order to get their proposals on the November ballot for voters to decide.

Dozens of people gathered on the Capitol steps Friday morning to rally in support of the tax initiative, which is similar to one that failed to gather enough signatures last year.

Gov. Mike Lowry and both houses of the Legislature have offered their own proposals to cut property taxes this year, but initiative backers say those proposals don’t go far enough.

Their proposal would set property values at 1992 levels for tax purposes. It would limit further increases in the assessed values to 2 percent a year and offer an exemption of $4.50 per $1,000 of assessed value.

The second initiative would bar hunters from using food to bait black bears and prohibit the use of dogs to hunt black bears, cougars, bobcats and lynxes. Sponsors say those hunting methods are not sporting.

Backers of both measures proposed Friday said they will not use paid signature gatherers.