Commissioners Condemn Oil And Gas Industry Election Spending

BOULDER, CO -- The Boulder County Commissioners issued a statement Monday condemning the $10 million in election spending the oil and gas industry has used to promote a proposed law that would give legal recourse to property owners if state action caused a reduction in their property value. Amendment 74, a measure on this November's state ballot seeks to require that property owners be compensated if any reduction in their property value were caused by state laws or regulations.

“For years, the oil and gas industry has tried to undermine the efforts of local communities in Colorado to protect their homes and schools from unsafe drilling,” said Commissioner Elise Jones in a statement. “After many frustrating court battles against the industry and even our own state government, local governments across Colorado are facing a new threat. Oil and gas interests will attempt to use Amendment 74 to weaken or eliminate common health, safety, and zoning protections.”

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“No one knows the real effect of the amendment, but many people are concerned that it could bankrupt local governments and roll back the basic zoning and land use regulations that Coloradans take for granted," added Commissioner Cindy Domenico.

Mike Foote, the statehouse representative for House District 12, which includes Louisville, Lafayette, and parts of Longmont, also came down strongly against the measure in an op-ed for the Daily Camera in September, calling it "one of the most dangerous ballot measures we have seen in Colorado for long time."

Amendment 74's proponents argue that property is a significant asset for many Coloradans, and that they should be compensated if a law or regulation causes any loss of value.

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