Financial powers of district
C.R.S. § 32-11-217
in effect32-11-217. Financial powers of district. (1) The district also has the following powers:
(a) To borrow money and to issue district securities evidencing any loan to or amount due by the district, to provide for and secure the payment of any district securities and the rights of the holders thereof, and to purchase, hold, and dispose of district securities, as provided in this article;
(b) To fund or refund any loan or obligation of the district, and to issue funding or refunding securities to evidence such loan or obligation without any election, except as provided in this article;
(c) (I) To levy and cause to be collected taxes on and against all taxable property within the district; except that any levy, except as provided in subparagraph (II) of this paragraph (c), in excess of one mill shall require the favorable vote of a majority of the electors of the district voting on the question, subject to the limitations provided in paragraph (d) of this subsection (1), by certifying, in accordance with the schedule prescribed by section 39-5-128, C.R.S., in each year in which the board determines to levy taxes, to the body having authority to levy taxes within each county wherein the district has any territory, the rate so fixed, with directions that, at the time and in the manner required by law for levying taxes for other purposes, such body having authority to levy taxes shall levy such taxes upon the valuation for assessment of all taxable property within the district, in addition to such other taxes as may be levied by such body, as provided in this section. Not more than one-tenth of a mill shall be used for engineering and operations of the district, not more than four-tenths of a mill shall be used for capital construction, and not more than four-tenths of a mill shall be used for maintenance and preservation of floodways and floodplains.
(I.5) In addition to the financial powers and limitations set forth in subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (c) and notwithstanding the limitations set forth in paragraph (d) of this subsection (1), the district shall have the power to levy and cause to be collected an additional tax not to exceed one-tenth of a mill upon the valuation for assessment of all taxable property within those portions of Adams, Arapahoe, Denver, Douglas, and Jefferson counties lying within the district. The additional tax shall be collected in the manner set forth in subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (c). The funds derived from such levy shall be used for the maintenance of and any improvements on that portion of the South Platte river which lies within the district.
(II) No levy authorized by this article for the payment of the principal of, any prior redemption premiums due in connection with, or the interest on any bonds or other securities issued under this article, whether general obligations or special obligations, shall be subject to the election requirements of subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (c), but all such levies shall be subject to the limitations provided in paragraph (d) of this subsection (1).
nt of the principal of, any prior redemption premiums due in connection with, or the interest on any bonds or other securities issued under this article, whether general obligations or special obligations, shall be subject to the election requirements of subparagraph (I) of this paragraph (c), but all such levies shall be subject to the limitations provided in paragraph (d) of this subsection (1).
(d) To levy taxes for any fiscal year without limitation as to rate or amount for the payment of any debt of the district authorized at an election as provided in this article, except as otherwise provided by sections 32-11-564 and 32-11-566, in accordance with section 32-11-533, and evidenced by the district's interim debentures, bonds, or other contract constituting a general obligation of the district, for a term exceeding one year, and between the district and the federal government or any public body (or any combination thereof), as provided in this section, but otherwise to levy taxes for any fiscal year subject to the following limitations:
Purpose of levy Mill limitation
To defray operation and maintenance expenses: one-half mill
To defray costs of capital improvements: one mill
To accumulate funds as additional security
for payment of assessment bonds: one mill
Maximum annual nondebt levy: two and one-half mills;
(e) To fix, from time to time increase or decrease, collect, and cause to be collected rates, fees, and other service charges pertaining to the facilities of the district, including without limitation minimum charges and charges for availability of the facilities or services relating thereto; to pledge such revenues for the payment of district securities; and to enforce the collection of such revenues by civil action or by any other means provided by law;
(f) To levy, collect, and cause to be collected assessments fixed against specially benefited real property in any improvement district within the urban district as provided in this article;
(g) To deposit any moneys of the district in any depository authorized in section 24-75-603, C.R.S.;
(h) To invest and reinvest any surplus money in the district's treasury, including such moneys in a sinking or reserve fund established for the purpose of retiring any district securities, not required for the immediate necessities of the district in securities meeting the investment requirements established in part 6 of article 75 of title 24, C.R.S., by direct purchase of any issue of such securities, or part thereof, at the original sale of the same, or by the subsequent purchase of such securities, except as otherwise provided in section 32-11-520 or elsewhere in this article;
(i) To redeem at maturity and to sell from time to time such securities thus purchased and held, so that the proceeds may be applied to the purposes for which the money with which such securities were originally purchased was placed in the treasury of the district;
(j) To reinvest the proceeds of any such sale in securities as provided in paragraph (h) of this subsection (1) and otherwise in this article.
Source: Open US Law by Vaquill AI (CC BY 4.0)URL: https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/images/olls/crs2024-title-32.docx#32-11-217Fetched: 10/6/2026