For the good of our state, get Bruce out of our budget.

You’re going to hear this phrase a lot over the next several months, so let’s get one thing out of the way right now: It’s a stupid name.

“Debrucing” is a term that only exists in Colorado. It refers to a process 230 local governments across our state have approved in order to use all of the tax revenue that comes in for public projects. It’s called “debrucing” because it removes a guy named Doug Bruce from the complicated equation governments in our state must use to determine just how much money is available for important services and projects many Coloradans rely on in our communities. Back in 1992, Bruce passed an amendment called the Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights (TABOR), which, among a lot of other things, put an artificial ceiling on how much money

any and every government in the state can use.

When communities “debruce,” they are getting rid of the revenue cap limiting the amount of money their governments can spend on public projects such as roads and schools. When this happens, taxes aren’t being raised. Instead, these governments get permission to use the tax money people already spend for the services they already think they’re getting. Cities, counties and special districts have done this because it makes no sense to not use what they have to make the kinds of investments and improvements they couldn’t when times were bad.

This fall, you will get to decide whether the entire state should debruce. You will be faced with a simple question: Do you want a $60 refund on taxes you already have paid, or do you want Colorado to use those dollars to fill potholes, hire teachers and fund new ideas to make the state better?

You may say the government should shove it. What is it going to do with more money, except waste it? “The government has plenty of money, but $60 could buy my family a nice dinner or cover the cost of back-to-school supplies or help me afford a minor home repair I’ve been putting off,” you think. But consider on your way to dinner, you encounter ungodly traffic on a state-maintained road that will mess up your whole night. Consider you won’t get to spend that money on school supplies or a home repair because your kid needs a tutor or coach their school can’t provide with its limited funds. That $60 in your pocket won’t widen that road, nor will it replace quality teachers in your child’s classroom.

Maybe now you’re wondering why Colorado’s state government can’t afford these things already. After all, people say we have the best economy in the country, right? Well, maybe it’s time we should question that statistic. Adjusted for population and inflation, our state’s general fund levels have only just surpassed what they were in 2009. We rank in the bottom fifth for public school spending, our child care costs are among the country’s most expensive, and we have the second-highest educational attainment gap between Latino and white students.

While our budget grows each year, it’s unable to keep up with the growing demands of a bigger and busier state. And that’s where an artificial revenue cap can become a big problem. In just a couple of years, an economic recession will cause state revenues to plummet. If we’re going to make big investments in our roads and schools, now is our chance. If we wait any longer, the problems will just get more expensive and harder to overcome than they already are.

To meet this challenge, “debrucing” really is the least we can do as a state right now. Many of us believe Colorado is way overdue for a modernization of our tax system and that we should expect more from our wealthiest citizens. For now, however, especially while times are good, the taxes all of us are already paying can help us make significant improvements to life in this state.

You already have covered the cost of these future improvements. Isn’t it time you get what you’re already paying for? This November, you can. Vote to debruce Colorado by supporting Proposition CC.