Downsizing & Rightsizing Guide · Colorado Springs
The Senior Property Tax Portability Measure Never Made the Ballot: A Colorado Update
Earlier this fall this article described a ballot measure, HCR 25-1001, that would have let Colorado seniors carry the Senior Property Tax Exemption to a new home after a move. The accurate status now: that measure was postponed indefinitely by a House committee in February 2025, it was never referred to the ballot, and there is no such question on the November 2026 ballot. What remains true is the underlying rule: the temporary portability program covers only tax years 2025 and 2026, and it ends after 2026 as scheduled. Here is what Colorado Springs seniors should know instead.
Key takeaways
- HCR 25-1001, the proposed constitutional amendment to make the senior property tax exemption portable, was postponed indefinitely in a House committee on February 24, 2025 and was never referred to the ballot.
- There is no senior property tax portability question on the November 3, 2026 ballot, so there is nothing for voters to decide on this topic.
- The temporary portability program, the Qualified Senior Primary Residence Classification created by SB 24-111, still covers only tax years 2025 and 2026 and ends after 2026 under SB 26-116.
- The practical work has not changed: ask the El Paso County Assessor whether a 2025 or 2026 portability claim was filed or can still be filed, and price any 2027 or later move with the full tax bill in mind.
The correction: the measure died in committee
HCR 25-1001 was a concurrent resolution that would have referred a constitutional amendment to the 2026 general election, letting a senior who qualified for the Senior Property Tax Exemption keep the break on a new primary residence after a move. It never made it that far. The House Finance Committee postponed it indefinitely on February 24, 2025, which is how a bill dies in the legislature, and no version of the measure was referred to the ballot.
The honest bottom line: there is no senior property tax portability question on the November 2026 ballot, and no number of yes votes could have changed the outcome this year. Families should stop looking for the measure on a sample ballot and instead focus on the rules that actually apply.
What remains true: the temporary program still ends after 2026
The part of the original article that has not changed is the underlying program. The Qualified Senior Primary Residence Classification, created by SB 24-111, lets an eligible senior who received the exemption on a previous home carry the break to a new primary residence, and it covers only tax years 2025 and 2026.
A 2026 Colorado law, SB 26-116, winds the classification down after tax year 2026, the taxes payable in 2027. After that, a senior who sells and moves must re-qualify for the exemption the regular way, at least 65 and ten consecutive years of ownership and occupancy at the new address. With no ballot measure in play, that outcome is now certain rather than conditional.
What to check if you moved in 2025 or 2026
For a senior who already moved, the deadline-driven work is unchanged. Application windows for these exemptions and classifications run early in the year, and the county assessor is the authority on what applies to a specific home.
Ask the El Paso County Assessor's office whether a claim for the Qualified Senior Primary Residence Classification was filed, or can still be filed, for 2025 or 2026, and keep the answer in writing. The Division of Property Taxation at the Colorado Department of Local Affairs posts the current forms and guidance.
What to plan around for a 2027 or later move
Without a ballot measure, the portability break will not follow a senior who moves after 2026. Plan the next home with its full property tax bill in mind, and know that the regular Senior Homestead Exemption still applies to a home a senior owns and occupies continuously for ten years.
The regular exemption remains in place: it can remove up to half of the first $200,000 of a home's actual value from property tax for a senior who qualifies. It just does not travel to a new address under current law, which is exactly why the failed measure would have mattered had it passed.
Juanita's practical take for the Springs
Tax rules get attention, but they are one line in a move. A senior who moved in 2025 or 2026 should still chase the 2025 and 2026 claim with the county assessor, because that is real money for two years. A senior planning a 2027 move should price the next home with the full tax bill in mind and not wait on a vote that is not coming.
Juanita Simkins has guided Colorado Springs senior transitions for 22 years, and she tracks the county assessor's deadlines the way she tracks closing dates: early and in writing. A short conversation produces the full picture, property tax included. Call 719-749-1601, email realtorjuanita@gmail.com, or book a consultation at calendly.com/realtorjuanita.
Written by Juanita Simkins
Realtor & Advisor, Broker Associate with eXp Realty in Colorado Springs. 22 years guiding local downsizing, estate, and probate transitions, including a Certified Probate Expert designation.
