The Montezuma-Cortez Re-1 School District has opted not to ask voters for additional tax revenue via a mill levy override.
“There was no way it would’ve passed,” said Re-1 Superintendent Alex Carter, announcing the decision to postpone the mill levy request this fall during a half-hour public budget meeting on Monday, May 11.
Carter attributed the decision, in part, on an unresolved $2 million Kinder Morgan tax dispute with Montezuma County. Earlier this year, the Colorado Court of Appeals required the county to repay what it deemed as an unfair assessment to the global oil company. If upheld, the decision could cost the district about $1 million in local tax revenues, which would be reimbursed through state equalization.
“It would be a lot of effort to run a mill levy override, and I want to know what the playing field looks like before I start,” said Carter.
“People have told me we will have to run it three or four times before it passes, and I say no,” Carter added, popping the table with his palm.
“We’ll run it once, and it will pass,” he continued, again banging the table. “So, I’m not going to run it until I’m confident that we have a chance.”
Carter floated the idea of a possible mill levy override request last fall, and the district circulated an online survey this year to gauge response to a potential tax increase. A Cortez Journal request for Carter to release the survey results was ignored.
Earlier this year, Carter said he would have used additional revenues from property taxes to target three specific areas: extending the academic year by 10 calendar days, investing in school security at deteriorating facilities and increasing student access to technology.
“It’s up to the people to decide whether students are a resource to invest in or if they are a drain on resources,” Carter previously said.
At 18.933, the district’s current mill levy generates about $850,000 annually for local school funding.
