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Angry biz owners throw 'tea party' in Commerce City

By Bill Scanlon, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published December 13, 2007 at 3:02 p.m.
Updated December 13, 2007 at 3:02 p.m.

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COMMERCE CITY -- Angry business owners threw "tea" outside City Hall today to protest a planned forced annexation, which they say will raise their taxes but provide little or no benefit.

Some 75 people attended the Commerce City Tea Party, which featured three-cornered hats, patriotic songs, boxes that resembled tea crates and shouts of "No taxation without representation."

The City Council wants to annex 92 businesses and 320 residences that lie in an area called the Enclave, which is in unincorporated Adams County but surrounded on most sides by Commerce City. The area is between Colorado Highway 2 and U.S. 85 and between 88th Avenue and 120th Avenue.

The big vote is slated for Monday night's City Council meeting.

"We'll have more taxes across the board, on our vehicles, our equipment, on the products we sell," John Kuchar, who owns Kuchar Electric, said at the rally.

"I moved my business to unincorporated Adams County 15 years ago so I wouldn't have to pay so many taxes. What's most aggravating is that they tell you, 'We're annexing you. That's it. Take it or leave it.'"

The protesters grumbled that their taxes will go up a collective $3.1 million annually, and they'll have nothing to show for it. All they really need is snow removal and police protection, which already is provided well by the county, they said.

Mayor Paul Natale sees it a lot differently. He says the small businesses have been running their trucks on city streets for years, slowly damaging them, and it's time they paid their fair share.

"It's not about police protection. It's about the 96th Avenue infrastructure," he said.

That road and Havana Street are among the main roads that the businesses run their trucks on, and they cost millions of dollars a mile to repair, he said.

"Their biggest beef has always been that no one fixes the streets they use," Natale said. "Well, we're going to fix them" when annexation goes through.

"We're going to use their taxes, or a portion of their taxes, to fix 96th Street."

What portion, the protesters want to know. There are no detailed plans or guarantees.

That's because it's impossible to know at this point exactly how many tax dollars will be generated by the annexation, Natale said.

Or, maybe it's because Commerce City wants to bait the trap, then leave just crumbs when the annexation is done, said some of the protesters.

Natale said large company trucks travel on 96th and 88th Avenue and Rosemary Street, among others, throughout the day.

"None of us wants to pay more taxes. But these businesses have used the infrastructure for years," the mayor said. "Now we need help from them to fix the infrastructure."

Art Crocfer, a homeowner in the area up for annexation, said, "Commerce City wants me to enter into the city without asking my permission? What is this? The United States of America or the United States of Dictatorship? Why did I serve my country if this is how I'm going to be treated?"

The protesters found an ally in state Sen. Lois Tochtrop, D-Adams County, who told them: "What Commerce City is doing is morally wrong, to annex property to add to the tax base and giving folks no say."

Last year, she introduced a bill to require a vote of those affected for any annexation, but couldn't get enough supporters to make it law.

She doesn't buy the mayor's argument that the businesses are ruining the roads without paying for them. She said most of the truck traffic seems to be on state or federal highways.

"If we lose 70 businesses over this, it will impact all of Adams County," Tochtrop said.

Wayne Summons, head of research and development for Sashco Inc., which makes caulk and employs 100, said his company may be forced to move to a place with lower taxes.

Summons said he hopes there's time to persuade the City Council to change its mind. "There may be state laws that permit it, but that doesn't make it right.

"Over 10 years, we'll pay an extra $1 million. To some companies, that doesn't mean much, but to us, it's a lot of money."

Natale said the taxes on Sashco and the other companies will be primarily "pass-through taxes" to consumers, for example, an extra 3.2 percent of sales tax. Property taxes will rise "a very small amount."

Comments

  • December 13, 2007

    3:51 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    JamesNasium writes:

    Unincorporated businesses have used City roads and facilities for years and it is time for them to pay. I'm sick and tired of the whining. If you can't afford to pay for what you cause, move. I'm confident my daily commute from Commerce City to Downtown Denver will shorten by 10 minutes.

  • December 13, 2007

    4:50 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    flash1 writes:

    Shows how smart Commerce city leaders are. They had a chance to put in a NASCAR track, which would have generated millions, but no, raise taxes instead. Duh!!

  • December 13, 2007

    5:05 p.m.

    Suggest removal

    JamesNasium writes:

    Yeah... place a large racetrack near a recently master planned and currently developing residential community that will have 5,000 homes... that's real bright. Place the track next to your house...

    They aren't raising taxes; they are wanting to assess those that are currently ruining infrastructure daily, excuse me, hourly, in a City they don't live.

  • December 14, 2007

    9:24 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    marilinn writes:

    I live here although I can see why Commerce City wants the industrial park, for easy money, they are not telling why they want a little area south of 88th that is just houses. The rumor is after we are annexed they will take our houses for a RTD park and ride or something of the like. As for the person who complained about your commute how do you think we feel about the 100's of homes that were built north of us in the "New Commerce City" and the city never planned any roads for your master planned area, so you clog up roads that were not intended for all the Reunion people. So much for a master planned community. The city has blown there budget and are looking at us to bail them out. It may be legal but it is not right. When was the last time your taxes doubled and you didn't get to vote on it?

  • December 16, 2007

    9:43 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    MNM writes:

    EMINENT DOMAIN ABUSE ALERT

    RTD BOARD MEETING
    TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2007 4:45PM
    16th and Blake, Denver

    Support Lakewood property owners whose property is being taken
    for the new West Light Rail Spur.

    PROTEST OUTSIDE AT RTD HQ at 4:45 PM

    BOARD MEETING STARTS AT 5:30

    MAKE YOUR VOICE HEARD AT THE OPENING OF THE MEETING

    1. We support efficient transit.

    2. We oppose RTD's bullying use of condemnation to acquire property.

    3. We oppose RTD's plans to take property for commercial development.

    Please plan to speak. You are allowed 3 minutes. Shorter is better.

    For more info contact:

    Colorado Property Rights Coalition
    720-244-7606

  • December 17, 2007

    10:14 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    DanGerous writes:

    I am a long time resident of the area and I am afraid I will have to echo the comments of the mayor. The roads in that area are destroyed by the heavy truck traffic that use them, going to the businesses there. I, as a taxpayer of the city, end up paying for the damage. Let them pay for their fair share.