Following months of public deliberation and heated argument, the fate of a local funding source for Woodland Park education will fall on local voters this November. 

The Woodland Park City Council voted 4-3 to put the continuation of a sales tax specifically for its public schools on the November ballot Thursday night.

Ahead of the vote, Councilmember Jeffery Geer, recognizing the amount of debate the topic has generated, said that the ordinance doesn’t guarantee that the tax will be abolished, and added that they will be in a better place to monitor its allocation if it were to remain. 

“But if they (the voters) choose not to continue the tax, then we have an opportunity to come together as a community and put something better together, which is something that several people have been wanting.”

The meeting was well-attended by community members who expressed their opinions on both sides of the issue during public comments.

Those in favor noted the lack of transparency and growing distrust toward the school district’s board members and superintendent on how the tax dollars were being spent in recent years.

Those opposed argued that the lack of transparency was resolved between the two parties in recent months and that the ballot measure could result in budget cuts throughout the district stemming from animosity toward its current leadership. 

Following the vote, audience members erupted into shouts at councilmembers and arguments with each other as the council adjourned for recess. 

The 1.09% sales tax, approved in 2016, is unique for a Colorado municipality in that it marked an intergovernmental agreement (IGA) between the City Council and Woodland Park School District RE-2. 

Thursday’s vote comes following an amendment to the IGA from last week’s board meeting that outlines the frequency and structure of how RE-2’s board must report to the council on how the tax money is allocated.

Among the initial requirements of the agreement is district representatives presenting an annual audit to City Council detailing how the tax revenue is being allocated. The last time this had occurred before this year, however, was in 2019.

In recent months, both councilmembers and community members expressed concerns over the district’s lack of financial transparency and questioned how exactly funds have been allocated.

These concerns culminated in discussions over abolishing the tax in February if changes were not made by the school district. 

The revenue amounts to about 11% of the school district’s general fund. 

Specifically, the question of how much funding was being devoted to the district’s charter school Merit Academy had become a topic of contention since the school was approved for the district in 2022. 

Following a meeting with both parties, a new IGA was signed March 26, lasting through July, that included a new financial report to be presented by the school district at a City Council meeting that now included funding to Merit Academy. 

A preliminary report was presented during a June meeting that was met with dissatisfaction by councilmembers who asked for greater detail and transparency by the school district. 

School district presentation draws ire of city council

The IGA was again agreed upon Aug. 26 with further accommodations made by the district. Per the new agreement, financial presentations would now be monthly, feature details such as allocations to payroll and charter schools, and be made available to the public on its website. 

This most recent amendment was signed as presented by the council with no changes or alterations made by the school district. The thought was that the need to put the continuation of the sales tax up to a November vote would no longer be necessary, since the City Council’s concerns were now met. 

After the vote, School Board President Mick Bates said the councilmembers weren’t honest with him and other board members about resolving the dispute beforehand.

“I’m shocked,” he said. “It didn’t matter what we did. It wasn’t enough.”

The language for how the measure will appear on the ballot will be sent to the Teller County clerk Friday for approval.