November 12, 2015
INSIDE
VOLUME 149 | ISSUE 49 | 50¢
Area veterans tell the story of their military service in a special fourpage package of stories and photos. Turn to PAGES 17 - 20.
GoldenTranscript.net A publication of
J E F F E R S O N C O U N T Y, C O L O R A D O
Get to know Brown
READING UP
Golden’s new District 2 councilor sits down for chat By Christy Steadman csteadman@coloradocommunitymedia.com
Standing behind the podium, Linda Rockwell, former Jefferson County Library board member and current Yes for Jeffco Libraries Campaign volunteer coordinator, talks about the details of the mill levy increase with campaign volunteers, from left, Pat Estes and Tom and Alice Atkins during a watch party that took place at the Belmar Library in Lakewood on Nov. 3. Photo by Christy Steadman
Voters give green light to improve library system Tax hike means longer hours, more materials for Belmar
Brown continues on Page 7
Applewood Golf plans dropped
By Christy Steadman csteadman@colorado communitymedia.com
A
fter years of falling behind its counterparts in other counties because of declining budgets, the Jefferson County Public Library system can soon start catching up, thanks to voters’ approval of a property tax increase. The results prove that “people value the library as part of the community,” said Linda Rockwell, former Jefferson County Public Library board member and volunteer coordinator for Yes for Jeffco Libraries Campaign. “Enough people love their library to pay to make them better.” While election results remain unofficial until certification later this month, the count of 179,234 ballots shows that Jeffco Ballot Issue 1A passed by more than 6 percentage points. Slightly more than 53 percent
On Nov. 3, Golden voters chose Casey Brown to be the new councilor for District 2, which covers most of the northern portion of the city. Brown, 43, was born in Salt Lake City and has lived in Golden since 2004. He and his wife are raising two sons, who are 9 and 12 years old. He graduated from Utah State University in 1994 with an Casey Brown will undergraduate represent District 2 on degree, then Golden City Council. went on to earn a law degree and a master’s of public affairs degree from Indiana University, Bloomington, in 1999. He is employed as a career civil
Staff Report
Yes for Jeffco Libraries Campaign volunteers and library staff watch as the votes come in concerning the libraries’ proposed mill levy increase at a watch party that took place at the Belmar Library in Lakewood on Nov. 3. of voters supported a mill levy increase, with the losing side garnering a little under 47 percent of the vote. With the Nov. 3 vote, the mill levy will increase by one mill to a maximum of 4.5 mills. For Jeffco homeowners, the change equals about 67 cents more a month for every
$100,000 of home value. The one-mill increase is expected to bring in $8 million of additional library revenues, beginning in 2016. The library’s senior management team has developed a five-year plan Library continues on Page 10
Fresh on the heels of the victory of Prospect Recreation and Park District’s ballot measures, developer Applewood West Holdings and the Coors Brewing Co. announced their purchase agreement of Applewood Golf Course has been terminated. In addition, the rezoning application for the golf course will be dropped. A lawsuit that had been filed to halt the rezoning was made moot by the change. Applewood West Holdings, which had planned to build as many as 400 singlefamily homes on the golf course, made the announcement of the change of plans three days after the election indicated 2-to-1 support for the Prospect district to purchase the property instead. The Prospect district will continue to work with Coors to try to buy the property. Look for an in-depth story about the Applewood developments in our Nov. 19 issue.
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