Few political experts predicted that across Colorado nearly every single ballot measure to increase property taxes would be passed. That includes a record $466 million bond issue in Denver.

“That was pretty surprising because normally in times like this, if you let consumers vote on a tax, if they’re having tough times, they’ll vote against it,” Mac Clouse, professor of finance at the University of Denver, said. “So, the fact that they all passed is a good sign for the economy.

Clouse says he never expected these results considering that last year a statewide effort to raise taxes for schools failed by a large margin.

“It is a dramatic change. It suggests that consumers now have confidence that we are beginning to come back,” Clouse said. “We’re still coming back, but we’re coming back and it’s a good sign for the future.”