October 21, 2021
FREE
DOUGLAS COUNTY, COLORADO
A publication of
LoneTreeVoice.net
INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 16 | LIFE: PAGE 22 | CALENDAR: PAGE 24 | SPORTS: PAGE 30
’TIS THE SEASON TO BE SCARY
VOLUME 20 | ISSUE 35
Comparing slates in county school board race BY JESSICA GIBBS JGIBBS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Just in time for Halloween, a display of gnomes and other spooky figures lures shoppers to the booth operated by Just Friends of Highlands Ranch at A Paris Street Market on Oct. 16 outside Park Meadows mall in Lone Tree. A Christmas edition of the market, a production of Vandel Antiques of Littleton, comes to the Douglas County Fairgrounds in Castle Rock on Nov. 12-13; details at PHOTO BY MARK HARDEN aparisstreetmarket.com.
Lone Tree seeks tax hike for public services Critics say now is not the time for more taxes BY JESSICA GIBBS JGIBBS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM
Will Lone Tree residents be willing to raise sales taxes for the next decade? Voters will decide in the
election that ends Nov. 2. The city council in August approved placing a measure on the ballot now in the hands of voters asking to raise sales tax by 1%. Council and staff tout the measure as having many benefits for Lone Tree and its residents, with little cost. The city is anticipating a $12 million budget deficit if it does not begin bringing in more revenue, or a cumulative gap of $100 million in
the next 15 years. Councilmembers and staff attribute stagnant sales tax revenue in recent years in part to shifting consumer habits and online shopping. The city has not increased its 1.5% sales tax since 1995. If approved, the ballot measure would increase sales tax revenue by up to $15.6 million the first year and last for 10 years. Revenue
WATCH FOR WEBSLINGERS It’s the time of year for houseguests with eight legs
P15
SEE TAX HIKE, P3
Clear divides exist between the two slates running in this year’s Douglas County School District board election when it comes to equity in education and managing COVID-19 in schools. Candidates in the slate dubbed Kids First have described equity as a distraction from the district’s academic mission. Those in the CommUNITY Matters slate say equity is crucial to ensuring every student has the tools to achieve academically. Kids First candidates say in-person learning should have always been an option during the pandemic, while CommUNITY Matters candidates vow to follow public health official guidance. We interviewed all eight candidates for the school board about their goals. On Pages 4-5, we look deeper into the views of candidates in these two slates. You’ll also learn on Page 6 about fundraising by the candidates — and how four board challengers are taking in more campaign cash than any other school candidates statewide, thanks in large part to two generous Douglas County donors. We previously ran the board candidates’ responses to our questionnaires on the issues in our Oct. 7 print edition. You’ll find those Q&As and more coverage of the school board races at tinyurl.com/2021VotersGuide.
NEW PROMISE
Treatments mean shorter recovery from scoliosis P16