During its Tuesday, August 13 meeting, the Salida School Board approved language that would be used on the ballot in the upcoming November election. The ballot will place the Salida School District annexation into the Colorado Mountain College (CMC) higher education service area.
Overall the Board expressed their enthusiasm in moving forward with the ballot question in the approval. Some board members did pose concerns that the question might still be incomplete and lacking transparency.
Colorado Mountain College Vice President and Campus Dean Rachael Pokrandt attended the meeting. She reassured the Salida School Board that the website and ongoing community outreach will further the education of the voters without having to encapsulate every component of the process in the ballot language. “I don’t want to give feedback on your question because this is your question. I would like to say that many of you have been in the room when I have presented to community groups, I don’t even know how many.”
Logo Courtesy of the Colorado Mountain College Homepage
Board members shared their concerns over the completeness of the ballot language.
“Looking at this version versus the revised version where you have taken out the wording ‘subject to property taxes.’ It bothers me,” said Cheri Post. “I think that it’s sneaky, it’s masking it… I think it says what can we get by and make flowery and not remind people there is a tax involved with this.”
Jeannie Peters shared her concerns as well, “I don’t disagree with Cheri actually, I know we don’t have to do it because it’s not a Tabor issue, but it just seems in terms of transparency, that I agree with Cheri, it’s incumbent upon us to use that phrase.”
Superintendent David Blackburn re-read the proposed ballot question and explained what parts of the question are legally allowed; what had to be in the question, and what portions are subject to choice. “Working with legal and CMC and making sure we are all on the same page, [the proposed ballot question] is the recommended piece there,” said Blackburn.
Pokrandt stressed that the decision and the ballot language is a local decision. “I always kick off my presentation with ‘I think it is extremely impressive that you want to tax yourselves to bring higher education into your community. I would say there is the ballot language, and all the communicating that is going to happen in your community through your ballot committee.”
Due to the nature of the question pertaining to an issue of annexation, the ballot question will only pertain to boundaries, rather than creating a new taxing district. The shifting of the boundary lines will allow CMC to offer higher education in the Salida School District Community and the communities around Salida.
Jennifer Visitacion provided closing remarks after the proposed ballot question was passed by the Salida School Board: “This does not pass without the intention of being fully transparent. We don’t want to lose the excitement of what we just did in terms of putting this ballot measure forward. The intent behind it is very exciting.”
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