The pandemic sent a true and tragic shockwave through our families, communities, and economies. It changed all of our lives and left behind lasting impacts and hard-learned lessons. One lesson that became apparent quickly for many Coloradans was that the state and local services they relied on in an emergency were not equipped to meet the tremendous amount of need.

Even at full employment levels and adequate funding, providing critical services across the state during the pandemic would have been an amazing feat, but years of budget cuts and chronic understaffing created a nearly insurmountable task. Colorado state employees stepped up to meet this challenge in incredible ways, but the pandemic left us all with a stark reminder that we have to invest in ourselves and protect our services to ensure we can access them when we need them.

This is why it’s so critical that we vote yes on Proposition HH this November. Proposition HH will not only provide Colorado families with the largest property tax reduction in history, but it will do this without hurting critical services and programs. It’s estimated that the average homeowner could save more than $1000 over the next two years under Proposition HH, and as the affordable housing crisis continues to grow that’s real money in people’s pockets. 

This means seniors will be able to stay in their homes and working people will be able to make ends meet. And while Proposition HH can’t totally make up for years of cuts, it will provide critical backfill funding for our local communities and schools. This is funding that can be used to repair our roads or help address serious staffing shortages or ensure our kids receive a quality education.

When local and state governments are creating their budgets for the year it’s not so different from what you might do around your own kitchen table. When the bills go up, many of us have had to make impossible decisions between keeping a roof over our head or keeping the lights on. At the state level, it might be between keeping the roads safe, or funding a school, or safeguarding a prison, or providing care for veterans and the elderly.

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By preventing additional budget cuts, we can fund the services many of us use daily like our schools, our outdoor spaces and our libraries. We can also ensure we are funding the services we hope we don’t need-but are critical when we do.

Proposition HH will allow us to invest in ourselves and provide property tax relief. Without the passage of Proposition HH, not only will property taxes go up, there are some truly terrifying measures on the ballot for next year that would absolutely decimate our schools and our state. 

We already have some of the lowest per pupil funding in the country, crumbling roads, and rank 45th in the country in terms of access to mental health services. Just like a car, Colorado can’t run without gas-something we are running out of quickly. Proposition HH provides responsible and needed property tax relief while ensuring we can fund the critical services we all rely on daily.

Hilary Glasgow is the executive director of Colorado WINS, the union representing 24,000 classified state employees in Colorado. She became an organizer for the union in 2006.