2023 GBC Policy Pitchfest
The votes are in, and the winner is…
We are pleased to announce that our first signature GBC bill will be the Fair Housing Competition Act! Please join me in congratulating GBC members Jervis DiCicco of ProsperBridge, and Aaron Zimola of Zova Marketing, and their mentor, Lukas Hagen of Capelli Consulting! Their awesome pitch for a bill to reduce housing costs and competition by discouraging large investors from purchasing housing units won with over 60% of the vote. In the coming months, we will focus on getting legislative sponsors, doing stakeholder work, and convening a coalition of community partners to support the bill.
That said, we've heard strong bipartisan interest in the Local Food for Local Restaurants Tax Incentive, and a number of legislators interested in the Small Business Tax Equity Act and Support for Alternatives to Polystyrene. They might well end up as bills, even if they aren't GBC's top focus!
The Policy Pitchfest process has been an amazing way to build the important relationships with legislators that we need to be even more effective at the the State Capitol. Learn more about our signature bill, the finalists, the rest of the contestant pitches, and the original 20 ideas submitted by members below.
Signature Bill
Fair Housing Competition Act:
to reduce housing costs and competition by discouraging large investors from purchasing housing units.
Jervis DiCicco, ProsperBridge
Aaron Zimola, Zova Marketing
Mentor: Lukas Hagen, Cappeli Consulting Research and Policy Analyst
How can we make owning or renting single family homes easier for Colorado families? The Fair Housing Competition Act requires foreign and large domestic investors to offset their impact on the housing market through a contribution to affordable housing programs. All foreign investors and domestic investors who own 100+ units would be required to contribute 10% of the purchase price over five years (2% per year) to affordable housing programs so that families that are getting priced out of the market have more opportunities to find their home. Additionally, the Act establishes a landlord database that allows renters to see the details, lawsuits, and background of their landlord before deciding to rent from them. Together, this empowers Colorado families to have more access to affordable homes for purchase and rent and to make more informed choices, while simultaneously making it more expensive for large investors to crowd the single family market.
Click for Slidedeck Only
Fair Housing Competition Act
Finalists
Local Food for Local Restaurants Tax Incentive
Provide a tax credit incentive to restaurant owners to purchase their ingredients from local/regional soil regenerative sources.
Cynthia Stewart, James Ranch Grill
Mandy Magill, Project Dung Beetle
Jarrod Ferstl, Better Employee Benefits
Mentor: Ali Mickelson, ASPCA State Legislative Director, Mountain West Region, formerly of Colorado Fiscal Institute
Summary
We're excited to share with you our Colorado state bill proposal: the Local Food for Local Restaurants Incentive. The idea is to incentivize Colorado restaurants with a 20% tax credit to purchase nutrient-dense, nontoxic, regenerative food from our local farmers and ranchers who are caring for the health of our soil. We would like to combine this with a Local/Regenerative Transition Success Model to ensure that restaurants will be successful in this transition. It is an exciting possibility for all of us as the positive ripple effects are extremely beneficial and far-reaching, including things like: increased public health, the ability for more farmers and ranchers to enter regenerative agriculture, and the healing of our precious soils and planet. Thank you Good Business Colorado for this opportunity!
Click for Slidedeck Only
Local Food for Local Restaurants Tax Incentive
Small Business Taxation Equity Act
Allow small businesses to pay property tax in monthly increments and provide transparency for property tax passthrough in commercial leases.
Nadeen Ibrahim and Helen Tekle, East Colfax Collective
Tracy duCharme, Color Me Mine
Cherylyn Haliburton, The Word
Moses Olanore, Econo Emissions Testing
Rosalyn Redwine, Winning Coffiers
Mentor: Jonathan Singer, Boulder Chamber Sr. Dir. Policy Programs and former CO State Rep
Summary
Currently, commercial property taxes are billed to property owners in mid-January of the following year with only two payment options: full payment by April 30 or two installment payments due on February 28 and June 15. Many small business owners also own their home, making both commercial and residential property taxes due at the same time. We propose providing a path forward for small businesses by creating a third payment option: monthly increments. It is essential we provide a fair timeline for small businesses, especially given the post-pandemic impact. This additional payment option would create equity in a free market and preserve small businesses that have been in our communities for decades. To pass this legislation, we commit to forming a coalition of small businesses, advocates, legislators, state departments, and local tax districts.
Click for Slidedeck Only
Small Business Tax Equity Slidedeck Only
Contestants
Reference Based Pricing Reduce Healthcare Costs
Stacey Gilbert, Denver Tech Insurance
Transition medical providers from a PPO/HMO network model to pricing based on a percentage over Medicaid.
Small Business Building Ownership
Jessi Burg, Outgrow Your Garage
Alisha Harris, Original Account Strategies
Mentor: Carol Hedges, Colorado Fiscal Institute Founding Director
Help small businesses achieve stability by enabling them to buy their own buildings
Promote Equity Sharing
Jervis DiCicco, ProsperBridge
Meghan Lape, Conscious Impact Financial Planning
Mentor: Brenda Morrison, Civic Innovators LLC Principal
Help close wealth gaps by making it easier and cheaper for business owners to equitably share equity.
How We Got Here
MEMBER IDEAS. We asked our members for their great ideas for a bill that would advance GBC's mission of building a more equitable, sustainable and prosperous Colorado - one that would be good for environmentally and socially responsible businesses. They answered with 20 bright ideas! You can view them all HERE.
SELECTION PROCESS. Our member comprised selection committee reviewed them all and after thorough discussion picked the ideas they thought had clearest connection to values-driven small businesses. Selection Committee:
Aaron Zimola, Zova Marketing
Alisha Harris, Original Account Strategies
Carol Cochran, Horse and Dragon Brewery
Clint Edgar, Better Pockets Financial
John Bachman, Kicker Consulting
Sarah Marcogliese Owner. Native Earth Landscaping
7 TEAMS. We recruited teams to turn those 7 ideas into potential GBC bills for the 2024 Colorado Legislative Session! (We wish we could support all 20 ideas with teams, but we will do the next best thing and send the others to our partner organizations and legislators who might be interested.)
QUALIFYING ROUND. Teams worked with experienced mentors to flesh out their ideas and refine them into a10 minute pitch they gave to a “celebrity judge” panel of current Colorado State Legislators during our 1st Ever GBC “Level Up Academy” conference on October 5th (virtual) and 6th (in person). The panel gave feedback and chose 3 qualifying finalists.
Senator Dafna Michaelson-Jenet
Rep Judy Amabile
Rep Shannon Bird
Rep Lorena Garcia
Rep Brianna Titone
Rep Eliza Hamrick
Rep Javier Mabrey
Rep Steven Woodrow
MEMBER VOTING. GBC membership had an opportunity to view the slide decks and videos from the qualifying pitches and vote for the which idea will become GBC's signature legislation for 2024. (We will do our best to place the other qualifiers with partner organizations or legislators to carry forward, and to offer support if they become bills.)