After the state rejected their efforts to reduce residential property values last month, Douglas County commissioners approved an 18% mill levy decrease on Tuesday to provide some relief to home owners facing steep tax increases. 

Along with approving the $671 million 2024 budget on Tuesday, Douglas County voted to reduce the levy by 3.679 mills, which translates to $37.8 million in tax savings for property owners.

“Throughout this historic increase in property assessments, we’ve advocated at the State level for change, and tried to help our citizens understand how we got here,” Commissioner Lora Thomas said. “As a priority outcome of our budget process, we are honoring our responsibility to reduce the tax burden for Douglas County’s portion of the tax bill.”

The Douglas County commissioners have been working to offer relief to soaring taxes expected from the unprecedented increases in tax valuations. In Douglas County, property values increased by as much as 40% in value going into 2024. In Western Colorado, home values jumped by as much as 55%.

In September, commissioners approved a proposal to reduce residential property values by 4%, a plan that would have brought in over $200 per house in property tax savings. Several months later, however, the the State Board of Equalization rejected the proposal. A decision that was even questioned by Gov. Jared Polis at the time.