We launched MDEC in 2020 and, as a coalition of financial, legal, and technical experts who provide subject matter expertise on metro districts, our work is guided by three values: affordability, accountability, and transparency.
This means that as a nonprofit, nonpartisan group, all of our education and advocacy efforts are grounded in these principles. You might be wondering exactly how they are reflected in our work, so here’s a quick overview.
Housing Affordability
Colorado’s massive housing shortage of 500,000+ units can only be met through a combination of financial, policy, and regulatory tools. Without metro districts, many Colorado families would be priced out if their purchase had to include their share of infrastructure and amenities up front, versus spread out over time through property taxes.
Through local and state education and advocacy, we’re working to protect the use of metro districts as a reliable financial model to ensure homebuilding does not slow down or stop, which would further the supply gap and force increases in prices.
Metro District Accountability
Since metro districts are a form of local government approved and overseen by a municipality or county and regulated by the State of Colorado, they are subject to limits on taxation, fees, and services and laws on home buyer protections.
As units of local governments paid for by taxpayer dollars, we support the highest levels of accountability for metro district staff and their boards of directors. Specifically, metro districts are:
These local and state laws and regulations were put into place to protect homeowners and taxpayers and we regularly collaborate with policymakers to address concerns related to accountability.
Homeowner Transparency
When someone buys a home within a metro district, it’s critical that they know what that means. State law requires advance notification to prospective buyers and many developers and builders in Colorado have taken notifications a step farther by placing information in sales centers, providing sales agents with factsheets, and creating videos buyers are required to watch before signing a contract.
MDEC supported legislation in 2021 to codify at the state level some best practices that were in use throughout many municipalities and counties. They include requirements for websites with contact info for board members, annual reports to include the status of construction, notifications for upcoming board elections, and much more. If you’d like to learn more about us, please visit the about MDEC section of our website.