JeffCo Supt. Thanks Voters For Approving Ballot Measures

GOLDEN, CO – With final ballot totals tallied in Jefferson County, it is clear that JeffCo voters approved both proposed JeffCo School District Ballot measures 5A and 5B that will bring new tax revenue into the district.

"Thank you Jeffco! Thank you for supporting your public schools and loving our kids,” said Supt. Jason Glass in a statement.

Measure 5A, proposed a mill-levy increase of $33 million for operating expenses, including teachers salaries, passed with a decisive margin on election night, Nov. 6. In final tallies posted Friday by the Colorado Secretary of States office, 165,488 voters approved the measure, or 54.93 percent of the vote. "No" votes numbered 135,802, or 45.07 percent.

Final tallies for ballot measure 5B, a $567 million capital bond issue for update and life-safety repairs on the district's schools, totaled 150,684 "yes" votes, or 50.26 percent. "No" votes totaled 149,131, or 49.74 percent.

Jefferson County turnout was higher than the rest of the state, with 314,350 ballots cast, or 72.43 percent of the 433,979 registered votes.

"We are incredibly thankful to our voters and the entire Jeffco community for supporting our schools," Glass said in a statement. "The 5A and 5B funding will dramatically impact the learning environment for all of our students."

Glass said the operating funding from 5A would enable the district to "offer new learning opportunities, support school safety and student mental health, and provide better compensation for our teachers and staff.

"Starting this year, we will be able to better serve our students, who in turn will better serve our communities and the world," Glass said. "And six years from now, Jeffco Public Schools will look much different with the investments we’ll be able to make in current and new facilities with the bond funding from 5B."

The district wants to use the bond funds to update older schools built before 1980, primarily high schools. The last time the district passed a capital bond was in 2004.

For the capital bond issue (5B) 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 home and $9.03 per month on a $500,000 home, the district said in August.

For the $33 million mill-levy hike (5A), 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.

Both ballot measures specify that funds cannot be used for administrative salaries, and will be monitored by a citizen oversight committee and subject to an annual external audit.

Voters rejected a statewide ballot measure, Amendment 73, that would have raised state income taxes for schools across the state.

Related: JeffCo School $567M Construction Bond Ballot Issue Likely To Pass

Related: On the JeffCo Ballot: 3 Tax-Raising Measures For Schools

Image via JeffCo Public Schools Facebook

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