AURORA | How would you fix Colorado’s budget gap if you were in charge?
A new interactive simulation lets Sentinel readers see how their votes on three statewide ballot measures could affect Colorado’s projected $1.6 billion budget shortfall, and then decide for themselves where to cut spending or invest more.
The Colorado Tradeoffs project was produced by the Colorado News Collaborative, the University of Colorado Denver School of Public Affairs and Weigh In. It asks participants to make decisions about statewide ballot questions affecting taxes and spending, then adjust funding across state services until the budget is balanced or shows a surplus.
“Colorado Tradeoffs puts you in the decision-maker’s seat,” said Colorado News Collaborative Executive Director Laura Frank. Sentinel Colorado is a member of the Collaborative. “No matter where you are on the political spectrum, you can balance the budget – either by cutting spending or increasing taxes. This tool lets you see the consequences of both.”
Three measures on the Nov. 3 ballot, Amendment 87, Prop 136 and Prop NN, could affect how much money the state has available, according to state economists and the project’s developers. The simulation asks users to consider options such as adopting a graduated income tax or freezing the income tax at its current rate, which are among the wide range of impactful ballot questions to be decided in the Nov. 3 Election.
The economic metrics and engine behind the simulation were gleaned in cooperation with state and legislative economists, drawing from real balance and projections from state budget and finance officials.
Participants also must decide how to distribute limited funds among priorities including education, early childhood care, health care, prisons and community corrections, and transportation. Increasing funding in one area requires cuts elsewhere, and the simulation displays potential consequences as users make changes.
Frank said some participants change their minds as they move through the simulation after seeing how their decisions affect the budget.
The non-partisan project is intended to let people explore the consequences of different election choices rather than tell them how to vote.
The exercise works on mobile devices, and individual responses remain private. Results will be reported only in aggregate and made available to state lawmakers, allowing them to see residents’ priorities across Colorado.
Participants must balance the budget before submitting their answers, just as state lawmakers must at the state Capitol. After completing the exercise, they can compare their choices with those of other participants and optionally sign up for a conversation with residents from other parts of the state.