Colorado's governor has asked the state Supreme Court to clarify how two constitutional amendments should jointly affect taxes.
The Denver Post reports that Gov. John Hickenlooper submitted three questions to the justices Tuesday about the Gallagher Amendment and the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights or TABOR.
Gallagher requires that residence owners pay 45 percent of all property taxes and that commercial property owners pay the rest. TABOR requires that tax increases be approved by voters affected by them.
The combined effects have reduced funding for some agencies, including rural libraries and fire departments. Hickenlooper calls it an "irreconcilable conflict."
If the justices agree to consider the questions, their answers could affect property tax bills.
The state constitution allows the governor to ask constitutional questions, but the court can turn down the request.
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