By David Grant Long

Oct. 4 is the last day to register for the Nov. 2 election for anyone, who didn’t vote in the last general election or who has moved in the meantime.

And there’s a little something on the ballot for all the residents of Montezuma County, although some will get to vote on more issues than others.

All county voters will be deciding whether to impose a 0.45-cent sales-and-use tax on most retail goods -- other than groceries, prescription drugs and farm machinery -- to build a new 110-bed jail that would replace the present overcrowded and insecure facility as well as to expand the community-corrections program as an alternative to incarceration.

The proposed tax would fund $6,260,000 in bonds that would be issued to pay for the improvements, and would end once a maximum repayment of $10,950,000 is made. The county commission and Sheriff Joey Chavez have stressed the critical importance of building a new jail, both to ward off lawsuits from inmates and to provide them with decent living conditions during their periods of confinement.

Voters statewide will be answering Gov. Bill Owens’ plea to allow the state to borrow $1.7 billion on future federal gas-tax revenues. These "revenue-anticipation" bonds would be used to more rapidly expand I-25 along the Front Range to accommodate the recent spurt of suburban commuters, and to accelerate other road projects around the state, including two in La Plata County and the widening of U.S. Highway 160 on the east side of Wolf Creek Pass. Repayment would cost $2.3 billion under the plan and would not increase taxes.

The Town of Mancos will be asking for voter approval of a one-cent sales tax that would raise approximately $62,500 next year, and would be used for capital improvements and operation and maintenance of the town’s facilities and equipment. Only people living within the town limits will be eligible to decide this issue.

The Mancos Library District wants to be "deBruced," or exempted from the limits on revenue growth imposed by the TABOR Amendment, and also seeks to increase its modest 1.5-mill tax by 2 mills to expand and upgrade that facility. The increase would amount to about $39,000 annually.

Voters in the Dolores Fire Protection District will decide whether to grant their volunteer firefighters a 5.995-mill tax increase to fund two new substations that would improve coverage and response time in the fast-growing area, and to purchase needed equipment.

The county’s three school districts will also be holding elections for seats on their boards.

The Montezuma-Cortez School District Re-1 has five seats up for election, but a contest only in District D, where incumbent Susan Baake is facing a challenge from Eric Whyte. Because of a federal court ruling, only residents of District D, which includes the Ute Mountain Ute reservation, may vote for these candidates.

Other incumbents who are unchallenged and will be returned to office include Orly Lucero, District A; Steve Hinton, District C; Jaclyn Fisher , District E; and Renee Reed, District G.

In Dolores School District Re-4A, five candidates are vying for three spots on the board. They include Graham Nielson, April Scott, Joe (Spark) Reed, Brad McCracken, and Holly Asher Brown. (Theresa Ragland will also be listed as a candidate on the ballot, but has withdrawn and any votes for her will not be counted.)

And in Mancos School District Re-6, five candidates are seeking three board seats. They include Paul Wilson, Connie Sue Small, William "Bill" Fair, Jon Bower and Robert Gaddis.

By Jim Mimaga

As population and development continue to increase significantly in the Dolores Fire Protection District service area, so does the need to protect both from the dangers of fire.

And in order to ensure that lives and property there continue to receive top-notch protection into the next century, the special district will ask property owners to help pay for necessary upgrades. The Nov. 2 ballot question requests voter approval for a plan that would increase the district’s mill-levy tax from the current 2.995 mills to 8.590 mills.

The additional revenue gained from the 5.595 mill increase would generate $143,178 over the next ten years. If approved, the money -- earmarked under a comprehensive expenditure budget -- pays for two new substations, replaces outdated equipment, and covers the rapidly increasing expenses of fire-tanker and truck maintenance.

"Since the special district was formed in 1980, we have not had an increase in the mill-levy, yet the service area that we cover has doubled from 2,000 property owners to 5,000," said Dolores Fire Captain David Doudy.

The District wants to keep pace with growth by building two new substations that can offer more rapid and efficient fire response for expanding areas. One would be built on the corner of Highway 145 and County Road P and the other be placed on County Road 26, either at its intersection with County Road 25 or Highway 184.

Operating costs for the new facilities are included in the requested increase for a 10-year period. The stations were located in order to accommodate areas of expansion, such as in the Summit Ridge and Priest Gulch areas. More substations also means lower insurance rates for residents living within five road miles of the new stations.

Demand for fire protection has grown also in 20 years, but with no new revenues to keep pace, Doudy said. In 1980 the district responded to 48 fire/EMS calls, in 1998 they were summoned to the rescue 256 times. The amount of calls is becoming more and more of a burden for volunteers, many of whom lack the necessary equipment other districts take for granted, such as enough adequate oxygen packs.

According to reports provided by the Dolores Fire District, "very little" of the fire-safety equipment used by volunteers meet National Fire Protection Association standards (NEPA). The costs of outfitting one fire fighter have risen from $900 in 1980 to over $5,000 in 1999, and the price of training for each volunteer has risen approximately the same amount, according to the reports.

"It’s tough to keep asking volunteers to contribute more and more without the proper safety gear," Doudy said, adding that benefits such as pension plans and decent gear is essential for recruiting and retaining volunteers.

"Right now we have no funds in the budget to replace equipment or do major upkeep. The only way we can do that is to rob Peter to pay Paul, and that is not working anymore."

Other needs that are lacking because of budget restraints and inflation include upgrading fire trucks that do not, or barely pass pump testing, major engine overhauls on two tankers, and a better supply of fire hose, fittings, testing equipment, medical equipment, fire-fighting chemicals, tires, and drop tanks. NEPA standards require that fire engines be replaced every 15-20 years; the district currently has eight vehicles that are more than 16 years old, and one that is 31 years old.

Insurance costs for the Dolores District, according to reports, have gone up from $2,900 per year to $14,000 since 1980.

Last year the district tried to pass a mill-levy increase of 10 mills, but it failed by 140 votes.

"Last year we tried to go for everything at once, so this year we scaled it back considerably," Doudy said.