REC center, recall among hot issues in area elections

REC center, recall among hot issues in area elections

November 6, 2001

ANITA SQUIRES of Cortez casts her mail ballot Monday morning at the county clerk’s office. Voters in the city have two mail ballots to cast — one in the Re-1 school-board election and state election, the other in the sanitation-district recall. City voters will also be going to the polls today to vote on the proposed recreation center; however, all other issues must be voted on by mail ballot.

By Jim Mimiaga
Journal Staff Writer

Today voters go to the polls to decide on a variety of state and local issues. What follows is a synopsis of what is on the ballot.

LOCAL BALLOT ISSUES

• Cortez recreation center (Ballot Measure 2A). City voters will be going to the polls today to decide this issue. Slated for Parque de Vida north of the skate park, the proposed public recreation center would be funded by a .055 percent sales-tax increase. That equals 55 extra cents that consumers would pay on a $100 purchase.

A similar proposal was rejected by voters in 1994, and this time around, the project has sparked vigorous debate. Proponents say a rec center would benefit residents’ overall health, provide them a place to gather, and help attract new businesses to the area.

Opponents say an extra tax, no matter how small, can ill be afforded by the area’s working poor, many of whom would never use the center. They also note that the tax would be paid on groceries as well as other purchases.

The 43,000-square-foot facility would be managed by Cortez Parks and Recreation. It would include a family pool, water slide, handicapped-accessible indoor jogging track, a six-lane lap pool and diving board, basketball and volleyball courts, multi-purpose rooms, an exercise area for aerobic machines, day care and office space. If the rec-center proposal passes, a $500,000 energy-impact grant would add racquetball courts to the plan.

The extra tax would secure a $8.9 million bond for construction, which would sunset after 20 years or less.

Operating funds would be paid for by a $300,000-per-year city subsidy that is built into the bond package. But city managers expect to use only $115,000 of that to staff and operate the center per year. The rest would go into a cushion fund to pay for operating costs after the bond sunsets. As a result no money from Cortez’s general fund would be needed for operations for 30 years, manager predict.

Registered voters can cast their ballots at two polling places: the county annex, for persons living north of Main Street, and the Montezuma Valley Presbyterian Church, 350 S. Washington, for those living south of Main. Polls will be open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.

• Mancos School District Re-6 mill levy. The district is seeking a three-year mill-levy increase of 2.16 mills to provide an estimated $62,325 extra per year. The increase would translate into an additional $19.76 in taxes per year on a $100,000 home or property. The money would be earmarked for rising utility costs, technology needs, and the rising number of students with special needs.

• Dolores library expansion. In Dolores, voters will decide whether to pass a mill-levy increase of 1.879 mills to fund an expansion project for the Dolores library and town hall, which are now in the same building. If passed, the cramped 2,500-square-foot library would grow to 7,500 square feet. The expansion is expected to cost around $900,000.

The library would move into the new space, and the vacated space would become a joint meeting room to be used by the library, the town hall, and other organizations. The library is contributing $100,000 to the project and the town has committed another $100,000. An energy-impact grant of $300,000 has been secured pending voter approval of the mill-levy increase. The remaining $400,000 would be funded by the mill increase and fundraising efforts.

The additional space would give the library room for children’s books, a computer lab, and a reading/study area. Two rooms to the west that are difficult to remodel will be torn down and a new roof will be put over the entire building. As part of the project, the town will remodel some of its space and turn its present meeting room into offices. Work would begin in the spring.

• Re-1 school board. Three seats on the Re-1 school board will be vacated in November. Vacating their seats are Sue Baacke, District D; Peggy Blackmer, District F; and Tina Galyon, District B. Sheri Wright is running uncontested in District D. Remigio Candelaria, Kip Kautz, Leon Murdock and Marci Schuster face off for District B. And in District F Steven Bloink and Armando Garcia are running for the seat.

The school vote is being conducted by mail ballot.

• Cortez Sanitation District recall and possible board-member replacements. Three district-board members, Stan Pierce, Sam Jarvis and Jim Bridgewater, are being targeted for recall following a controversy over sewer disconnect policy and management. Voters are asked to vote yes or no on whether to recall each one. Then — regardless of how they voted on the recall — citizens will have the chance on the same ballot to select up to three of the five candidates to replace any recalled members.

The candidates seeking board positions — if voters favor the recall — are Fred Blackburn, Norm Hall, Robert Knoll, Ted Stearman and Harold Foster.

The top vote-getters will fill any slots vacated by recalls for the time remaining on the terms. Pierce has 2 1/2 years remaining on his term and Bridgewater and Jarvis have half a year left on theirs.

The recall is being conducted by mail ballot.

• Dolores County School Board. Two candidates, Floyd Cook and Dan Johnson, are seeking the District F position being vacated by Francie Gardner.

• Rico tax issues. Voters are asked to decide three issues. Ballot Question 1 asks approval of a 7.5-mill increase to fund a town manager. Ballot Question 2 ask voters to approve a 1 percent sales-tax increase for a parks fund. It also requests a 1 percent increase in lodging taxes and a $2-per-square-foot excise tax for new structures. The new revenues would go toward the park fund, capital improvement, a street fund, and the Rico Fire Protection District. Ballot Question 3 requests voter permission to raise the mill levy 4.6 mills to fund installation of a town sewer system.

STATE BALLOT ISSUES

• Amendment 26. The citizen initiative asks voters to send $50 million of the state’s $927 million tax surplus towards planning for a mass-transit system on the overcrowded Front Range. The money would fund a study and test for a unique, high-speed monorail system linking Denver International Airport with Vail. Eventually the system would be expanded to reach other destinations in an effort to reduce commuter traffic jams now clogging I-25 and I-70. If the train is built, it could eventually connect all of the Western Slope communities, including Cortez.

The proposed high-speed train would run with a linear induction motor developed at Sandia National Laboratory in Albuquerque. The train would run along an elevated track and rely on magnetic propulsion for speed and braking.

• Referendum A. The open-space initiative would give Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) the authority to borrow money by issuing bonds of up to $115 million. The money would go to government entities or nonprofit organizations to purchase land for open space. GOCO, which holds proceeds from the Colorado’s lottery, cannot acquire land in its own name.

Voters have until 7 p.m. today to return mail ballots to the Montezuma County clerk’s office, 109 W. Main, Cortez. The clerk’s office will accept ballots for the Cortez Sanitation District election also. Those ballots can also be dropped off at Kent Williamson’s office, 215 N. Linden, until 7 p.m.