The Moffat County Board of Commissioners approved a ballot proposition that will give voters the opportunity to override the Tax Payer Bill of Rights in regards to property taxes on Tuesday.

In 1996, voters a approved a measure that was intended to allow the county to collect revenue at rate of growth greater than 5.5 percent per year but the language did not cover all of the county’s bases.

“In the past Moffat County tried to de-Bruce everything and, because of the language, they weren’t successful — even though the voters did approve it,” said Rebecca Tyree, county attorney.

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The current resolution, which will be on the ballot in November, would not raise the current property tax rate.

“This isn’t going to change what the mill levy is,” said Moffat County Commissioner Chuck Grobe. “It’s just going to let us retain the full mill levy on the adjusted gross value of the property.”

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At their Tuesday morning meeting the commissioners voted in unison to put the measure to a vote. If approved by voters, it would allow the county to retain all property tax revenue in the future, rather than asking voters for permission to keep new income each year.

“It let’s you jump more than 5.5 percent,” Tyree said.

All three agreed that the resolution would help the economy recover quicker after a recession by removing the limit at which it can grow.

“When you collapse, you can only ratchet up so fast,” said Moffat County Commissioner John Kinkaid. “It would be wonderful for the county to recover quicker.”

Tyree said she had been working on the getting the correct language for several months, at the request of the commissioners, and with their approval it is in the voters’ hands.

“It’s up to the voters again,” she said, referring to the first attempt to achieve this goal in 1996.

Grobe said the county finance has been looking into this and promoting the idea for several years.

“I think this well overdue,” he said.