Ballots for Colorado’s coordinated election Nov. 4 were sent to Montezuma County voters Friday, launching the run up to an election that asks residents to decide on local funding measures, various school board seats and two statewide propositions.
Locally, several Montezuma-Cortez RE-1 school board seats are up for grabs, including in districts A, B, D, E and F. The Journal has published profiles for these local contests.
Alongside those races, two Mancos RE-6 board seats are in question and a proposed $600,000 mill-levy override to boost employee salaries, retention and recruitment.
Special-district issues include the Cortez Cemetery District 6A, which would add a 0.539-mill property-tax increase for maintenance and equipment, and Montezuma County Water District No. 1 6B, asking voters to remove 2024 state-imposed property-tax and revenue limits.
At the state level, two propositions deal with funding the state’s Healthy School Meals for All program, which provides free breakfast and lunch to all students grades K-12.
The program was originally created in 2022 through Proposition FF, and it is essentially paid for by limiting how much high earners in the state of Colorado can deduct from their taxes, those earning $300,000 or more annually.
When first passed, it was estimated to affect 200,000 Colorado households.
The program aims to eliminate the stigma associated with reduced lunches and by proxy of ensuring kids have enough to eat, aims to target better academic performances and test scores.
Proposition LL asks whether the state of Colorado keeps and spends excess revenue from the 2022 tax-deduction limits on high earners to continue funding the program. If approved, LL does not raise taxes, it is about retaining extra revenue that exceeded the initial budgeted amount for the program. Per the state law under TABOR, the state must ask voter permission to retain excess revenue.
LL asks voters’ permission to keep a surplus of $11.3 million that was collected from top earners in 2022. That amount exceeded the $100.7 million anticipated to fund and operate the program.
A “no” vote means the state would have to refund the extra millions to those taxpayers. A “yes” vote allows the state to keep revenue – the $11.3 million plus $1.1 million in interest – and maintains the deduction caps in future years.
Proposition MM would go further to expand and fund the program fully, adding an estimated $95 million annually by tightening deductions for those $300,000 or more earners. If approved, this ballot measure projects a $486 increase annually for those earners. The extra money would go toward gaps in the program’s current funding, including to provide for cafeteria staff and supporting SNAP food assistance.
Ballots can be mailed back, dropped off at designated boxes or returned in person through the Election Day.
Every actively registered voter will receive a mail ballot. Ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on Election Day to be counted — postmarks do not count, according to the County Clerk’s Office.
Voters can return their ballots using one of several 24-hour drop boxes located throughout the county. The Montezuma County Clerk and Recorder’s Office drop box at 140 W. Main St. in Cortez will be open through Nov. 4. Additional drop boxes open Oct. 28 at the Dolores Town Hall, Mancos Town Hall, Cortez City Hall, the Lewis Post Office, and the Ute Mountain Ute Tribal Headquarters.
Those wishing to vote in person or register and vote on the same day can visit the Montezuma County Annex 1 at 107 N. Chestnut St. in Cortez. The voting center is open Oct. 27 through Nov. 3, Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Election Day from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
