Our kids are already grown, and they left home many years ago, but my wife and I understand the social contract that makes it every citizen’s responsibility to provide for the education of all children. Fact is D49 has a wonderful reputation in the surrounding community for being exceptionally well managed and frugal, so we were ready to support the increase (last year’s tax proposal). Even so, we will not simply write a blank check.The text of the actual proposal clearly sought to exempt itself from the portions of the Colorado constitution requiring voter approval for additional funds and changes to the mil levy. That fact, in my opinion, made the proposal unsupportable because, in effect, it said that if approved D49 would be able to sell more bonds to raise more (new) funds and increase the mil levy (as often as necessary) without any further voter concurrence. I think many property owners, if they read the actual text of the proposal as I did, would have voted against it on that basis alone.A single mil levy increase for a known amount would translate into far more “yes” votes. I know the issue would have had our support if the exemption clause had not been included. And if even ten percent of the voters read (or some would argue, misread) the actual text as we did, I think that made all the difference in the outcome.Lee Reedy
