Schools
On the JeffCo Ballot: 3 Tax-Raising Measures For Schools
Voters will be asked on the November ballot to approve $567 million in capital bonds and raise property taxes by $33 million.
GOLDEN, CO – The Jefferson County School Board voted unanimously on three money-raising initiatives in a special session Thursday. The board voted to support a statewide school ballot initiative, Amendment 73. The board also voted to ask voters to approve the issue of $567 million in bonds for capital improvements and approved a mill-levy override of $33 million for ongoing operation funds, including teacher salaries.
Board members urged voters to support the "Great Schools Thriving Communities" initiative at the ballot in November, saying state tax revenue for Colorado K-12 students is about $2,500 less per student than the national average. If 55 percent of Colorado voters pass Amendment 73, JeffCo schools are predicted to receive an estimated additional $134 million or $1,609 per student in additional revenue.
The capital bond ballot measure will ask voters in Jefferson County to approve a capital improvement bond measure for $567 million. According to the district, JeffCo has around $1.3 billion in "facility needs." The average age of the 155 JeffCo schools is 50 years old. The district wants to update older schools built before 1980, primarily high schools. The last time the district passed a capital bond was in 2004.
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For the capital bond issue, the district estimated the residential tax burden on residents will be about $1.81 a month per $100,000 in home value, or about $5.42 per month on a $300,000 dwelling and $9.03 per month on a $500,000 home, the district said.
Funds cannot be used for administration or other staff, and the bond spending will be monitored by a citizen oversight committee and subject to an external audit yearly.
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Mill-levy increase
The $33 million mill-levy increase proposal will cover operating expenses, including salaries for teachers and counselors. The residential property tax increase will average $2.10 per month per $100,000 in home value. That adds up to $6.31 per month on a $300,000 home, or $10.52 per month for a $500,000 home. Again, funds cannot be used for administrative salaries, and the additional funds will be monitored by a citizen oversight committee and subject to an annual external audit.
In 2016, JeffCo voters shot down both a bond issue and a mill-levy raise totaling $568 million tax package for schools.
Read more about the proposed bond issuance and mill-levy override here:
HANDOUT 2018 JeffCo proposed $547 million capital bond measure and a $33 million mill-levy override. by JeanLotus on Scribd
Watch the board members voting and public comments here:
Images via JeffCo School District
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