DENVER—Small business owners said Wednesday they are skittish about Colorado’s economic climate and asked lawmakers to tread lightly before trying to make major changes to health care and tax policies in the upcoming session.
Tony Gagliardi, state director of the National Federation of Independent Business, said a survey of 7,000 members statewide showed they are worried lawmakers will try to impose health care mandates on employers and try to raise taxes to support expanded programs for health care, transportation, education and other issues at a time when the state is strapped for cash.
“Our fear is somebody going into the Legislature thinking, ‘I’ve got the magic fix,'” Gagliardi said at a news conference. “We’d like them to tread lightly and do no harm.”
Gagliardi said business leaders were blindsided when Democratic Gov. Bill Ritter issued an executive order allowing state workers to join a union.
He said small businesses are worried the state will agree to contracts that would require them to hire union employees and drive up the cost of doing business.
He said companies are also concerned that lawmakers, who promised to make health care a key issue when they begin their session on Jan. 9, will try to impose mandates requiring them to offer expensive health care plans to employees.
Gagliardi said businesses realize that health care is a problem, but they need incentives, not more mandates.
House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, D-Denver, said economic development will be one of the top issues in the upcoming session and several plans are being offered to help businesses.
One would simplify the tax code, which currently requires businesses to calculate taxes three ways, by reducing it to only one based on sales. Another would raise the threshold on the business personal property tax from $2,500 to $7,000 for equipment owned by businesses, and others would promote renewable energy and bioscience research.
Romanoff said there are no plans to go to voters and ask for a tax increase.
“I think that represents a last resort,” Romanoff said.
He said lawmakers can find savings that would allow them to pay for new programs and find more efficient ways to do business.
