From the 10/16/2024 Pikes Peak Courier:
Repealing sales tax is vote for a better agreement
It’s sad that I retired here to enjoy nature and peace, but instead must deal with people who live to “other” anyone who believes or advocates differently.
I am an outspoken, proud supporter of public schools, transparency and competency in elected officials. I am particularly critical of Mick Bates, Ken Witt, and Brad Miller, the school board’s very-expensive counsel. Perhaps this is why I’ve received Facebook death threats.
Smart, research-driven and caring friends are also being maligned, even threatened, when they advocate for our public schools. Anonymous cowards have threatened my friends privately and on social media; Fake Facebook profiles disrespect City Council members by name; and, sadly, many only watch Council and board meetings online, out of fear of retaliation.
At the same time the board makes it impossible for highly qualified, independent financial experts to verify district finances by stonewalling Colorado Open Records Act requests. The new CFO is another hire with prior relationships to Brad Miller, which will only continue financial opacity. This school board should stop delegating to Miller and Ken Witt. Mick Bates is either ignorant, being manipulated, or lied to (and believing it).
City Council can better support our students and teachers by ensuring honesty and transparency about where our tax money is really going. Vote to repeal the current tax as it is written now. Don’t be fooled by opponent’s false appeals about harming students and teachers. Your vote to repeal is a vote for a better contract, not a reduction in support.
Trina Hoefling, Woodland Park
Why is sales tax still needed?
The question of the 1.09% city sales tax for schools, Ballot question 2A, will be voted on in November. I believe a healthy school district is indicative of a healthy community. Good school ratings boost the value of homes, and help us feel connected through our common values — what’s best for the community’s children.
Test scores aside, the overall real estate ratings from third party websites of WPSD schools have decreased. 2 public schools have closed. Enrollment is down and we have lost students to other districts. Our part time superintendent’s combined salary is $349,400 (plus benefits and bonuses). Other superintendents in similar districts make $225,000 (Aspen) — $279,000 (Jeffco). The superintendent for Denver, which manages over 200 schools, makes $329,400. I have nothing against Merit Academy and only want the best for those families, but why is our public school superintendent donating $1,200 to them (while not donating to the other four schools) and why did his organization ERBOCES loan them money?
If we have fewer students and facilities to maintain, why is the sales tax needed? The money certainly doesn’t seem to be making its way to our students and teachers. Remember who has really sown division here — the outside influences of a superintendent who doesn’t live in our community, and a whole fleet of law firms who are draining our district dry.
Allison Avery-Wollenhaupt, Woodland Park
Vote YES on 2A
Much about our school district has changed since the tax was implemented in 2016: an entire elementary school (with all related expenses) closed, almost one-third of the traditional public school children left for a different district, a significant number of teachers have opted to teach elsewhere (with fewer kids less teachers are needed) and property valuations in Teller County are at an all-time high, delivering more property tax funds to the school district. The opposition argues the tax is needed to fund our schools, but is the money even being used to support our kids? A part time superintendent making more money than any other superintendent in neighboring districts ($175K) coupled with grossly inflated legal fees year over year, do our teachers and kids even benefit from this tax money? Are there other expenses that could be trimmed if teachers’ jobs and kids’ education is truly in peril?
At the request of many constituents, WP City Council asked for transparency into the district’s finances before the sale tax agreement was renewed. These basic requirements were difficult for the school board president to comprehend. With such controversy surrounding the spending of taxpayer dollars by our school board, transparency goes a long way in our community. The new WPSD CFO has previous ties to the district’s attorney, so clear guidelines are needed moving forward. The tax should be repealed, and the agreement re-written to build in more safeguards requiring further accountability and transparency. This school board has been anything but fiscally conservative.
Elizabeth Douglass, Florissant
Vote on 2A isn’t a forever deal
I appreciate the heartfelt comments about ballot question 2A, repeal of the city’s 1.09% sales tax that goes to the WP School District. There’s concern that students and teachers would be harmed by taking away this money. But, are we dealing with the same conditions as in 2016, when the tax was voted in?
Cuts in state funding to schools had created a real hardship for the district, which the 2016 tax was meant to mitigate. Now, those cuts have been restored by the state and per pupil funding will increase, meaning more income for the district. Also, today there are fewer buildings to be maintained by the district, with the recent closure of Gateway Elementary being one, and there is no question the district has lost many, many experienced teachers already. Enrollment across all the schools is down this year. Factoring in the increase in state funding, this should mean lower costs to the district, should it not?
Voting on 2A is not an all or nothing, forever and ever deal. Repeal in no way constrains the city from writing a new version and putting that to a vote. A rewrite could fold in the improved guardrails in the IGA that was recently signed. It’d be a big improvement to set rules and expectations for accountability and transparency, clearly, and from the start.
Trust but verify, as Ronald Reagan said!
Patricia Hines, Woodland Park