No one likes to say no to our public schools.  A quality education is one of the most important things we have to offer our children and I do not question the quality of education Adams 12 provides.  I am a product of the school district and my children currently attend the district’s schools.  However, Adams 12 has come to the well too many times in recent years and they have not shown that they are being responsible with our tax dollars. 

Adams County issues 3A and 3B are the district’s latest effort to take money and add debt. 

• Item 3A, the mill levy override, would place an additional tax burden on taxpayers already struggling to make ends meet in this economy.  It is important to note that this is not a time-limited tax increase – it is forever!  There is no sunset date on this tax so even when the economy returns to normal, the district will continue to take your money. 
• Item 3B is the bond issue, an opportunity for an already overburdened, debt laden district to take on more debt.  Adams 12 Five Star School District already has some of the highest debt of any district in the state and make no mistake, bonds are debt.  Who pays that?  Us – the taxpayers! 

One of the district’s own board members voted against sending the measures to the voters saying that money isn’t the answer and there are better ways to deal with the district’s self-created money problems.  I also recently heard from a longtime veteran school board member.  What did he have to say?  That the district “cannot manage money” and failed to live up to their end of the bargain on previous tax increases and bond issues.  To quote him, he said, “They need to lose this one.”   

I recently wrote about just a few of the ways in which the district has failed to keep its trust with the taxpayers by not being good stewards of our money.  Please click here to read that posting.  When you fill out your ballot, say no to 3A and 3B.  It is okay to say no!