-----BEGIN PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE----- Proc-Type: 2001,MIC-CLEAR Originator-Name: webmaster@www.sec.gov Originator-Key-Asymmetric: MFgwCgYEVQgBAQICAf8DSgAwRwJAW2sNKK9AVtBzYZmr6aGjlWyK3XmZv3dTINen TWSM7vrzLADbmYQaionwg5sDW3P6oaM5D3tdezXMm7z1T+B+twIDAQAB MIC-Info: RSA-MD5,RSA, RVnVnhjA9k+u/PsIPpxy6oKXjvprVQy/VDva/XyE6ameN4tLUwVtSMR+OuBSuqBS x51PW2vCN7zkOTdHHSIxVw== 0000811239-97-000004.txt : 19970429 0000811239-97-000004.hdr.sgml : 19970429 ACCESSION NUMBER: 0000811239-97-000004 CONFORMED SUBMISSION TYPE: DEF 14A PUBLIC DOCUMENT COUNT: 1 CONFORMED PERIOD OF REPORT: 19970612 FILED AS OF DATE: 19970428 SROS: NONE FILER: COMPANY DATA: COMPANY CONFORMED NAME: TAX FREE FUND OF COLORADO CENTRAL INDEX KEY: 0000811239 STANDARD INDUSTRIAL CLASSIFICATION: [] FISCAL YEAR END: 1231 FILING VALUES: FORM TYPE: DEF 14A SEC ACT: 1934 Act SEC FILE NUMBER: 811-05047 FILM NUMBER: 97588625 BUSINESS ADDRESS: STREET 1: 380 MADISON AVE STE 2300 CITY: NEW YORK STATE: NY ZIP: 10017 BUSINESS PHONE: 2126976666 MAIL ADDRESS: STREET 2: 380 MADISON AVE SUITE 2300 CITY: NEW YORK STATE: NY ZIP: 10017 DEF 14A 1 IMPORTANT NOTICE PLEASE READ IMMEDIATELY AQUILA TAX-FREE FUND OF COLORADO 380 Madison Avenue, Suite 2300, New York, N.Y. 10017 NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS TO BE HELD on June 12, 1997 TO SHAREHOLDERS OF THE FUND: The purpose of this Notice is to advise you that an Annual Meeting of the Shareholders of Aquila Tax-Free Fund of Colorado (the "Fund") will be held Place: (a) at Denver Marriott Tech Center 4900 S. Syracuse Street Denver, Colorado 80237 Time: (b) on June 12, 1997 at 2:00 p.m. local time; Purposes: (c) for the following purposes: (i) to elect seven Trustees; each Trustee elected will hold office until the next annual meeting of the Fund's shareholders or until his or her successor is duly elected; (ii) to ratify (that is, to approve) or reject the selection of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP as the Fund's independent auditors for the fiscal year ending December 31, 1997 (Proposal No. 1); and Please Note: If you do not expect to attend the Meeting, you are requested to indicate voting instructions on the enclosed proxy and to date, sign and return it in the accompanying stamped envelope. To avoid unnecessary expense to the Fund, your cooperation is requested in mailing in your proxy no matter how large or small your holding may be. (iii) to act upon any other matters which may properly come before the Meeting at the scheduled time and place or any adjourned meeting or meetings. Who Can Vote What Shares: (d) To vote at the Meeting, you must have been a shareholder on the Fund's records at the close of business on March 24, 1997 (the "record date"). Also, the number of shares held by you according to such records at the close of business on the record date determines the number of shares you may vote at the Meeting (or any adjourned meeting or meetings). By Order of the Board of Trustees EDWARD M. W. HINES Secretary April 25, 1997 (ii) AQUILA TAX-FREE FUND OF COLORADO 380 Madison Avenue, Suite 2300, New York, New York 10017 PROXY STATEMENT INTRODUCTION The purpose of the Notice (the first two pages of this document) is to advise you of the time, place and purposes of an Annual Meeting of the Shareholders of Aquila Tax-Free Fund of Colorado (the "Fund"). The purpose of this Proxy Statement (all the rest of this document) is to give you information on which you may base your decisions as to the choices, if any, you make on the enclosed proxy card. This Notice and Proxy Statement are first being mailed on or about April 25, 1997. A copy of the Fund's most recent annual report and most recent semi-annual report will be sent to you without charge upon written request to the Fund's Distributor, Aquila Distributors, Inc., 380 Madison Avenue, Suite 2300, New York, NY 10017 or by calling 800-872-2652 toll-free or 212-697-6666. The Fund's organizer and administrator (the "Administrator") is Aquila Management Corporation, 380 Madison Avenue, Suite 2300, New York, NY 10017. The Fund's investment adviser is KPM Investment Management, Inc. (the "Adviser"), 1700 Lincoln Street, Denver Colorado 80203. The Adviser is a wholly owned subsidiary of KFS Corporation which is wholly-owned by Mutual of Omaha Insurance Company, whose principal office is at Mutual of Omaha Plaza, Omaha, NE 68175. The enclosed proxy card authorizes the persons named (or their substitutes) to vote your shares; the Fund calls these persons the "proxy holders." As to the election of Trustees you may authorize the proxy holders to vote your shares for the entire slate indicated below by marking the appropriate box on the proxy card or by merely signing and returning your proxy card with no instructions. Or, you may withhold the authority of the proxy holders to vote on the election of Trustees by marking the appropriate box. Also, you may withhold that authority as to any particular nominee, by striking a line through the nominee's name on the proxy card. As to the other matter listed on the proxy card, you may direct the proxy holders to vote your shares on that proposal by checking the appropriate box "For" or "Against" or instruct them not to vote your shares on that proposal by checking the "Abstain" box. If you return your signed proxy card and do not check any box on the proposal, the proxy holders will vote your shares for the proposal. You may end the power of the proxy holders to vote your shares after you have signed and returned your proxy card and before the power is used by (i) so notifying the Fund in writing; (ii) signing a new and different proxy card (if the Fund receives it before the old one is used); or (iii) voting your shares in person or by your duly appointed agent at the meeting. Shares held by brokers in "street name" and not voted or marked as abstentions will not be counted for purposes of determining a quorum. The Fund is sending you this Notice and Proxy Statement in connection with the solicitation by its Trustees of proxy cards ("proxies") to be used at the Annual Meeting to be held at the time and place and for the purposes indicated in the Notice or any adjourned meeting or meetings. The Fund pays the costs of the solicitation. Proxies are being solicited by the use of the mails; they may also be solicited by telephone, facsimile and personal interviews. Brokerage firms, banks and others may be requested to forward this Notice and Proxy Statement to beneficial owners of the Fund's shares so that these owners may authorize the voting of these shares. The Fund will pay these firms for their out-of-pocket expenses for doing so. The Fund has three classes of shares outstanding. All shareholders of the Fund are entitled to vote at the meeting. Each shareholder on the record date is entitled to one (1) vote for each dollar (and a proportionate fractional vote for each fraction of a dollar) of net asset value (determined as of the record date) represented by full and fractional shares of any class held on the record date. On the record date, the net asset value per share of the Fund's Class A Shares was $10.35, of its Class C Shares was $10.34 and of its Class Y Shares was $10.36. The meeting will act upon matters that affect the Fund as a whole: the election of Trustees and the action on the selection of auditors (Proposal No. 1). On matters that affect the Fund as a whole, all shareholders of the Fund, including the shareholders of all three classes of the Fund are entitled to vote at the meeting. On the record date, the total number of shares outstanding for the Fund was 20,814,050. Of the shares of the Fund outstanding on the record date, Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith, Inc., P.O. Box 30561, New Brunswick, NJ held of record 1,118,882 Class A Shares (5.4% of the class); Everan Clearing, 111 East Kilbourne Ave., Milwaukee, WI held 65,496 Class C Shares (72.0% of the class); Paine Webber f/b/o Carol W. Litchfield held 17,459 Class C Shares (19.2% of the class) and Haws & Co. c/o Guaranty Bank & Trust, Denver, CO held 52,454 Class Y Shares (99.9% of the class). The Fund's management is not aware of any other person beneficially owning more than 5% of its outstanding shares as of such date. On the basis of information received from the holder, the Fund's management believes that all of the shares indicated are held for the benefit of clients. ELECTION OF TRUSTEES At the Meeting, seven Trustees are to be elected. Whenever it is stated in this Proxy Statement that a matter is to be acted on at the Meeting, this means the Meeting held at the scheduled time or any adjourned meeting or meetings. Each Trustee elected will serve until the next annual meeting or until his or her successor is duly elected. The nominees selected by the Trustees are named below. See "Introduction" above for information as to how you can instruct the proxy holders as to the voting of your shares as to the election of Trustees. Each of the nominees is presently a Trustee and was previously elected by the shareholders at the annual meeting of the Fund held on June 19, 1996. Except for Mr. Weeks, who has been a Trustee since 1995, and Dr. Adams, who has been a Trustee since 1989, every other Trustee has been a Trustee since the beginning of the Fund's operations in 1987. The Trustees and officers as a group owned on the record date less than 1% of the outstanding shares of the Fund. In the table below and elsewhere in this Proxy Statement, Aquila Management Corporation is referred to as the "Administrator" and the Fund's Distributor, Aquila Distributors, Inc., is referred to as the "Distributor." Mr. Herrmann is an "interested person" of the Fund, as that term is defined in the Investment Company Act of 1940 (the "1940 Act") as an officer of the Fund and a Director, officer and shareholder of the Distributor. He is so designated by an asterisk. Described in the following material are the name, positions with the Fund, age as of March 24, 1997 and business experience during at least the past five years (other than with the Fund) of each nominee and all officers of the Fund. Lacy B. Herrmann*, President and Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Age: 67, Shares owned: 330 (1) Founder, President and Chairman of the Board of Aquila Management Corporation since 1984, the sponsoring organization and Administrator and/or Adviser or Sub-Adviser to the following open- end investment companies, and Founder, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, and President of each: Hawaiian Tax-Free Trust since 1984; Tax-Free Trust of Arizona since 1986; Tax-Free Trust of Oregon since 1986; Churchill Tax-Free Fund of Kentucky since 1987; Tax-Free Fund For Utah since 1992; and Narragansett Insured Tax- Free Income Fund since 1992; each of which is a tax-free municipal bond fund, and two equity funds, Aquila Rocky Mountain Equity Fund since 1993 and Aquila Cascadia Equity Fund since 1996, which, together with this Fund are called the Aquila Bond and Equity Funds; and Pacific Capital Cash Assets Trust since 1984; Churchill Cash Reserves Trust since 1985; Pacific Capital U.S. Treasuries Cash Assets Trust since 1988; Pacific Capital Tax-Free Cash Assets Trust since 1988; each of which is a money market fund, and together with Capital Cash Management Trust ("CCMT") are called the Aquila Money-Market Funds; Vice President, Director, Secretary and formerly Treasurer of Aquila Distributors, Inc. since 1981, distributor of the above funds; President and Chairman of the Board of Trustees of CCMT, a money market fund since 1981, and an Officer and Trustee/Director of its predecessors since 1974; Chairman of the Board of Trustees and President of Prime Cash Fund (which is inactive), since 1982 and of Short Term Asset Reserves 1984-1996; President and a Director of STCM Management Company, Inc., sponsor and sub-adviser to CCMT; Chairman, President, and a Director since 1984, of InCap Management Corporation, formerly sub-adviser and administrator of Prime Cash Fund and Short Term Asset Reserves, and Founder and Chairman of several other money market funds; Director or Trustee of OCC Cash Reserves, Inc., Oppenheimer Quest Global Value Fund, Inc., Oppenheimer Quest Value Fund, Inc., and Trustee of Quest For Value Accumulation Trust, The Saratoga Advantage Trust, and of the Rochester Group of Funds, each of which is an open-end investment company; Trustee of Brown University, 1990-1996 and currently Trustee Emeritus; actively involved for many years in leadership roles with university, school and charitable organizations. (1) Includes 149 shares owned by the Administrator. Tucker Hart Adams, Trustee, Age: 59, Shares owned: 336 President of the Adams Group, an economic consulting firm, since 1989; Trustee of Aquila Rocky Mountain Equity Fund since 1993; Vice President of United Banks of Colorado, 1985-1988; Chief Economist of United Banks of Colorado, 1981-1988; Director of University Hospital, 1990-1994; Director of the Colorado Health Facilities Authority; Vice Chair of the University of Colorado Foundation; currently or formerly an officer or director of numerous professional and community organizations. Arthur K. Carlson, Trustee, Age: 75, Shares owned: 443 Retired; Advisory Director of the Renaissance Companies (design and construction companies of commercial, industrial and upscale residential properties) since 1996; Senior Vice President and Manager of the Trust Division of The Valley National Bank of Arizona, 1977-1987; Trustee of Hawaiian Tax-Free Trust, Tax-Free Trust of Arizona and Pacific Capital Cash Assets Trust since 1987, of Pacific Capital Tax-Free Cash Assets Trust and Pacific Capital U.S. Treasuries Cash Assets Trust since 1988 and of Aquila Rocky Mountain Equity Fund since 1993; previously Vice President of Investment Research at Citibank, New York City, and prior to that Vice President and Director of Investment Research of Irving Trust Company, New York City; past President of The New York Society of Security Analysts and currently a member of the Phoenix Society of Financial Analysts; formerly Director of the Financial Analysts Federation; past Chairman of the Board and, currently, Director of Mercy Healthcare of Arizona, Phoenix, Arizona since 1990; Director of Northern Arizona University Foundation since 1990; present or formerly an officer and/or director of various other community and professional organizations. William M. Cole, Trustee, Age: 65, Shares owned: 1,916 President of Cole International, Inc., financial and shipping consultants, since 1974; President of Cole Associates, shopping center and real estate developers, 1974-1976; President of Seatrain Lines, Inc., 1970-1974; former General Partner of Jones & Thompson, international shipping brokers; Trustee of Pacific Capital Cash Assets Trust since 1984, of Hawaiian Tax-Free Trust since 1985 and of Pacific Capital Tax-Free Cash Assets Trust and Pacific Capital U.S. Treasuries Cash Assets Trust since 1988; Chairman of Cole Group, a financial consulting and real estate firm, since 1985. Anne J. Mills, Trustee, Age: 58, Shares owned: 7,351 Vice President for Business Affairs of Ottawa University since 1992; Director of Customer Fulfillment, U.S. Marketing and Services Group, IBM Corporation, 1990-1991; Director of Business Requirements of that Group, 1988-1990; Director of Phase Management of that Group, 1985-1988; Budget Review Officer of the American Baptist Churches/USA since 1994; Director of the American Baptist Foundation since 1985; Trustee of Brown University; Trustee of Churchill Cash Reserves Trust since 1985, of Tax-Free Trust of Arizona since 1986, of Churchill Tax-Free Fund of Kentucky and Capital Cash Management Trust since 1987 and of Tax-Free Fund For Utah since 1994. J. William Weeks, Trustee, Age: 69, Shares owned: 514 Trustee of Narragansett Insured Tax-Free Income Fund since 1995; Senior Vice President of Tax-Free Fund of Colorado and Narragansett Insured Tax-Free Income Fund, 1992-1995; Vice President of Hawaiian Tax-Free Trust, Tax-Free Trust of Arizona, Tax-Free Trust of Oregon and Churchill Tax-Free Fund of Kentucky, 1990-1995; Senior Vice President or Vice President of the Bond and Equity Funds and Vice President of Short Term Asset Reserves and Pacific Capital Cash Assets Trust, 1984-1988; President and Director of Weeks & Co., Inc., financial consultants, since 1978; limited partner and investor in various real estate partnerships since 1988; Partner of Alex. Brown & Sons, investment bankers, 1966-1976; Vice President of Finance and Assistant to the President of Howard Johnson Company, a restaurant and motor lodge chain, 1961-1966; formerly with Blyth & Co., Inc., investment bankers. John G. Welles, Trustee, Age: 71, Shares owned: 4,691 Retired; Executive Director Emeritus of the Denver Museum of Natural History since 1995; Director of the Museum, 1987-1994; Regional Administrator of Region VIII, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, 1983-1987; Vice President for Planning and Public Affairs of the Colorado School of Mines, 1974-1983; Member of the Board of Directors of Intra West Mortgage Corporation, 1976- 1983; Member of the Board of Directors of the Gulf of Maine Foundation; formerly head of the Industrial Economics Division of the University of Denver Research Institute, consultant to the United Nations Conference on the Human Environment and to Business International, and Chairman of the Colorado Front Range Project; formerly Vice President and member of Ethics Commission of the American Association of Museums. William C. Wallace, Vice President, Age: 62 Vice President of Capital Cash Management Trust and Pacific Capital Cash Assets Trust since 1984; Senior Vice President of Hawaiian Tax-Free Trust since 1985 and Vice President, 1984-1985; Senior Vice President of Tax-Free Trust of Arizona since 1989 and Vice President, 1986-1988; Vice President of Tax-Free Trust of Oregon since 1986, of Churchill Tax-Free Fund of Kentucky since 1987, of Pacific Capital Tax-Free Cash Assets Trust and Pacific Capital U.S. Treasuries Cash Assets Trust since 1988 and of Narragansett Insured Tax-Free Income Fund since 1992; Secretary and Director of STCM Management Company, Inc. since 1974; President of the Distributor since 1995 and formerly Vice President of the Distributor, 1986- 1992; Member of the Panel of Arbitrators, American Arbitration Association, since 1978; Assistant Vice President, American Stock Exchange, Market Development Division, and Director of Marketing, American Gold Coin Exchange, a subsidiary of the American Stock Exchange, 1976-1984. Jean M. Smith, Vice President, Age: 52 Assistant Treasurer of Bradford Trust Company, 1977-1978; Staff Supervisor of Wood Struthers & Winthrop, an investment advisory firm, 1976-1977; Client Administrator of Bradford Trust Company, 1972-1976. Marie E. Aro, Vice President, Age: 42 Vice President and Mutual Fund marketing Director of Boettcher & Company, Inc., a regional brokerage firm, 1981-1990; Marketing and Shareholder Services Representative with AIM Management Inc., a mutual funds adviser and underwriter, 1980-1981. Rose F. Marotta, Chief Financial Officer, Age: 72 Chief Financial Officer of the Aquila Money-Market Funds and the Aquila Bond and Equity Funds since 1991 and Treasurer, 1981-1991; formerly Treasurer of the predecessor of CCMT; Treasurer and Director of STCM Management Company, Inc., since 1974; Treasurer of Trinity Liquid Assets Trust, 1982-1986 and of Oxford Cash Management Fund, 1982-1988; Treasurer of InCap Management Corporation since 1982, of the Administrator since 1984 and of the Distributor since 1985. Richard F. West, Treasurer, Age: 61 Treasurer of the Aquila Money-Market Funds and the Aquila Bond and Equity Funds and of Aquila Distributors, Inc. since 1992; Associate Director of Furman Selz Incorporated, 1991-1992; Vice President of Scudder, Stevens & Clark, Inc. and Treasurer of Scudder Institutional Funds, 1989-1991; Vice President of Lazard Freres Institutional Funds Group, Treasurer of Lazard Freres Group of Investment Companies and HT Insight Funds, Inc., 1986-1988; Vice President of Lehman Management Co., Inc. and Assistant Treasurer of Lehman Money Market Funds, 1981-1985; Controller of Seligman Group of Investment Companies, 1960-1980. Edward M. W. Hines, Secretary, Age: 57 Partner of Hollyer Brady Smith Troxell Barrett Rockett Hines & Mone LLP, attorneys, since 1989 and counsel, 1987-1989; Secretary of the Aquila Money-Market Funds and the Aquila Bond and Equity Funds since 1982; Secretary of Trinity Liquid Assets Trust, 1982-1985 and Trustee of that Trust, 1985-1986; Secretary of Oxford Cash Management Fund, 1982-1988. John M. Herndon, Assistant Secretary, Age: 57 Assistant Secretary of the Aquila Money-Market Funds and the Aquila Bond and Equity Funds since 1995 and Vice President of the Aquila Money-Market Funds since 1990; Vice President of the Administrator since 1990; Investment Services Consultant and Bank Services Executive of Wright Investors' Service, a registered investment adviser, 1983-1989; Member of the American Finance Association, the Western Finance Association and the Society of Quantitative Analysts. Patricia A. Craven, Assistant Secretary & Compliance Officer, Age: 30 Assistant Secretary of the Aquila Money-Market Funds and the Aquila Bond and Equity Funds since 1995; Counsel to the Administrator and the Distributor since 1995; formerly a Legal Associate for Oppenheimer Management Corporation, 1993-1995. Compensation of Trustees For its fiscal year ended December 31, 1996, the Fund paid a total of $59,804 in compensation and reimbursement of expenses to those Trustees to whom it pays fees. No other compensation or remuneration of any type, direct or contingent, was paid by the Fund to its Trustees. The Fund does not pay fees to Trustees affiliated with the Administrator or to any of its officers. The Fund is one of the 14 funds in the Aquilasm Group of Funds, which consists of tax-free municipal bond funds, money market funds and two equity funds. The following table lists the compensation of all Trustees who received compensation from the Fund and the compensation they received during the Fund's fiscal year from other funds in the Aquilasm Group of Funds. None of such Trustees has any pension or retirement benefits from the Fund or any of the other funds in the Aquila group. Compensation Number of from all boards on Compensation funds in the which the from the Aquilasm Trustee Name Fund Group now serves Tucker H. Adams $7,480 $10,042 2 Arthur K. Carlson $5,471 $50,827 7 William M. Cole $6,430 $41,144 5 Anne J. Mills $5,525 $28,184 6 J. William Weeks $7,257 $10,257 2 John G. Welles $7,461 $7,461 1 The Fund's Administrator is administrator to the Aquilasm Group of Funds, which consist of tax-free municipal bond funds and money market funds. As of December 31, 1996, these funds had aggregate assets of approximately $2.7 billion, of which approximately $1.9 billion consisted of assets of the tax-free bond funds. The Administrator, which was founded in 1984, is controlled by Mr. Lacy B. Herrmann (directly, through a trust and through share ownership by his wife). For the year ended December 31, 1996, advisory fees of $429,691 were paid or accrued to the Adviser, of which $7,388 was voluntarily waived. During the year ended December 31, 1996, administration fees of $644,125 were paid or accrued to the Administrator under the Administration Agreement of which $99,853 was voluntarily waived. The Distributor currently handles the distribution of the shares of fourteen funds (five money market funds, seven tax-free municipal bond funds and two equity funds) including the Fund. Under the Distribution Agreement, the Distributor is responsible for the payment of certain printing and distribution costs relating to prospectuses and reports as well as the costs of supplemental sales literature, advertising and other promotional activities. All of the shares of the Distributor are owned by Mr. Herrmann. During the fiscal year, the Distributor retained $83,492 in commissions on sales of the Fund's Class A Shares. Under the Fund's Distribution Plan the Distributor received $2,606 with respect to the Fund's Class A Shares and $1,662 with respect to the Fund's Class C Shares. In addition, it received $554 under the Fund's Shareholder Services Plan. Other Information on Trustees The Trustees have appointed an Audit Committee consisting of all of the Trustees (the "Independent Trustees") who are not "interested persons" of the Fund, as that term is defined in the 1940 Act. The Committee (i) recommends to the Board of Trustees what firm of independent auditors will be selected by the Board of Trustees (subject to shareholder ratification); (ii) reviews the methods, scope and result of audits and the fees charged; and (iii) reviews the adequacy of the Fund's internal accounting procedures and controls. The Committee held one meeting during the Fund's last fiscal year. The Board of Trustees does not have a nominating committee. During the Fund's last fiscal year, the Board of Trustees held four meetings. Each Trustee attended at least 75% of the total number of Board meetings and the Audit Committee meetings (if such Trustee was a member of that Committee). RATIFICATION OR REJECTION OF SELECTION OF INDEPENDENT AUDITORS (Proposal No. 1) KPMG Peat Marwick LLP has been selected by the Fund's Board of Trustees, including a majority of the Independent Trustees, as the Fund's independent auditors for the fiscal year ending December 31, 1997; such selection is submitted to the shareholders for ratification or rejection. The firm has no direct or indirect financial interest in the Fund, the Fund's Adviser or the Fund's Administrator. It is expected that representatives of the firm will not be present at the meeting but will be available should any matter arise requiring their presence. RECEIPT OF SHAREHOLDER PROPOSALS Under the proxy rules of the Securities and Exchange Commission, shareholder proposals meeting tests contained in those rules may, under certain conditions, be included in the Fund's proxy statement and proxy card for a particular annual meeting. No shareholder proposals have been received. One of the conditions under the proxy rules relates to the timely receipt by the Fund of any such proposal. Under these rules, proposals submitted for inclusion in the proxy material for the Fund's next annual meeting after the meeting to which this Proxy Statement relates must be received by the Fund not less than 120 days before the anniversary of the date stated on the first page of this Proxy Statement relating to the first mailing of this Proxy Statement. The date for such submission could change, depending on the scheduled date for the next annual meeting; if so, the Fund will so advise you. The fact that the Fund receives a shareholder proposal in a timely manner does not insure its inclusion in the Fund's proxy material, since there are other requirements in the proxy rules relating to such inclusion. OTHER BUSINESS The Fund does not know of any other matter which will come up for action at the Meeting. If any other matter or matters properly come up for action at the Meeting, including any adjournment of the Meeting, the proxy holders will vote the shares which the proxy cards entitle them to vote in accordance with their judgment on such matter or matters. That is, by signing and returning your proxy card, you give the proxy holders discretionary authority as to any such matter or matters. IMPORTANT NOTICE PLEASE READ IMMEDIATELY AQUILA TAX-FREE FUND OF COLORADO [LOGO] NOTICE OF ANNUAL MEETING OF SHAREHOLDERS TO BE HELD ON JUNE 12, 1997 PROXY STATEMENT AQUILA TAX-FREE FUND OF COLORADO PROXY FOR SHAREHOLDERS MEETING JUNE 12, 1997 PROXY SOLICITED ON BEHALF OF THE TRUSTEES The undersigned shareholder of AQUILA TAX-FREE FUND OF COLORADO (the "Fund") does hereby appoint LACY B. HERRMANN and EDWARD M. W. HINES, or either of them, as attorneys and proxies of the undersigned, with full power of substitution, to attend the Annual Meeting of Shareholders of the Fund to be held at Denver Marriott Tech Center, 4900 S. Syracuse Street, Denver, Colorado 80237, on June 12, 1996 at 2:00 local time and at all adjournments thereof, and thereat to vote the shares held in the name of the undersigned on the record date for said meeting on the matters listed below. Please mark your proxy, date and sign it below and return it promptly in the accompanying envelope which requires no postage if mailed in the United States. Management recommends a vote FOR all nominees listed below and FOR the proposals listed below. The shares represented hereby will be voted as indicated below or FOR if no choice is indicated. As to any other matter said attorneys shall vote in accordance with their best judgment. Please indicate your vote by an "X" in the appropriate box below Election of Trustees---. __ [__] FOR all nominees listed below __ [__] VOTE WITHHELD for all nominees listed below (Instructions: To withhold authority to vote for any one or more of the nominees, strike a line through the name of that nominee or the names of such nominees in the list below.) LACY B. HERRMANN; TUCKER HART ADAMS; ARTHUR K. CARLSON; WILLIAM M. COLE; ANNE J. MILLS; J. WILLIAM WEEKS; JOHN G. WELLES Ratification of selection of KPMG Peat Marwick LLP as independent auditors __ __ __ (Proposal No. 1) FOR [__] AGAINST [__] ABSTAIN [__] Dated: ____________ ______, 1997 Month Day __________________________________ SIGNATURE(S) __________________________________ SIGNATURE(S) PLEASE SIGN EXACTLY AS YOUR NAME(S) APPEAR HEREON. When signing as a custodian, attorney, executor, administrator, trustee, guardian, etc., please sign your full title as such. Joint owners should each sign. -----END PRIVACY-ENHANCED MESSAGE-----