Some Aurora metro district residents question tax increase in Colorado
Kathy Morgan and her husband bought their home in Aurora's Blackstone neighborhood about 10 years ago, drawn by its proximity to a golf course and the area's safety.
"It was a lifestyle choice," said Morgan.
However, Morgan and other residents were surprised earlier this year to see a sudden increase in their residential property tax bills, a hike not experienced by all Aurora residents.
"It's a hidden tax," said Morgan.
Morgan said she was unaware when she purchased her home that it was part of a metro district, which had agreed to eventually help fund regional infrastructure and road improvements by contributing to the South Aurora Regional Improvement Authority (SARIA).
SARIA is a collection of government entities formed to finance upgrades to roads, bridges, and intersections.
For years, the Blackstone metro district, made up of about 950 homes, paid SARIA a modest amount annually.
In 2022 and 2023, Blackstone contributed approximately $52,000 per year. But in 2024, that amount jumped to $353,816—a 571% increase—resulting in roughly an additional $380 in taxes per home.
"I'm paying for something I didn't know I was into," Morgan said.
She was unaware that her metro district was liable for a mill levy increase in 2024, with the levy rising from 1 to 6 mills to fund various road projects, which Morgan says are nowhere near her home.
"Seeing this and where the money is going, it's not so much about the dollar amount; it's about fairness and equality," she said.
Some of the infrastructure improvements are a 30-minute drive from her home.
Brian Matise, an attorney who previously served on an Aurora metro district board, called the additional tax for certain metro districts unfair.
"Certain residents are paying essentially a higher property tax rate than others for improvements outside their neighborhoods that benefit all Aurorans, and that's what's unfair," Matise said. "If an individual is going to be paying higher property taxes, it should be for improvements in their neighborhood, not outside their neighborhood."
He added that residents in other metro district neighborhoods in Aurora can expect similar tax increases to Blackstone's over the next five years.
David Solin, the district manager for SARIA, confirmed that other metro districts in Aurora will soon experience similar tax increases.
He advised home buyers to read the title company package and look for disclosures about their property being in a metro district.
In an email, Solin wrote, "This (tax increase) was a requirement from the City of Aurora and is required to be included in all the model service plans for districts within Aurora since the ARI was implemented."
Matise said the issue faced by Morgan and others in the Blackstone metro district has not been challenged in court and could be addressed by the state legislature.
He recommended that home buyers in Aurora ask their real estate agents if they are purchasing property in a metro district and, if so, find out if it will affect their individual property taxes.
