Jeffco Transcript 0910

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September 10, 2020

JEFFERSON COUNTY, COLORADO

A publication of

JeffcoTranscript.com

VOLUME 37 | ISSUE 9

Bandimere draws crowd to oppose health orders County possibly

facing loss of $29 million in revenue in 2022

‘Let’s take it back’ is motto of politically charged event BY PAUL ALBANI-BURGIO PALBANIBURGIO@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

Face masks were rare and MAGA hats and red, white and blue were plentiful on Sept. 1 at Bandimere Speedway as a crowd descended on the race track to protest what organizers called “unconstitutional Public Health Orders and Executive Orders.” The event, promoted by the speedway as the “Stop the COVID Chaos” rally, put the track back into the spotlight it has occupied for much of the summer as it held a July 4 event in violation of Public Health Orders and later faced off against Jefferson County Public Health in court over health orders. The lead-up to the rally further intensified that battle as JCPH sent the Bandimere family an email warning them that any event at the race track must “follow all Public Health Order Requirements.”

Property taxes could decline to adhere to Gallagher Amendment BY PAUL ALBANI-BURGIO PALBANIBURGIO@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

tables spread out six feet apart where learning coaches helped them with remote learning assignments and getting set up for virtual meetings with their teachers every day. Following lunch, Gold Crown’s students got to participate in a sports camp where they got to exercise, similar to a physical education class. Gold Crown’s efforts to welcome students five times a week from

Preliminary forecasts suggest Jefferson County could lose as much as $29 million in property tax revenue in 2022 because of anticipated reductions in the property tax assessment rate, County Commissioner Casey Tighe warned during a telephone town hall held on Aug. 31. Those possible losses would result from possible reductions in the county property tax rate triggered by the Gallagher Amendment, which requires that property taxes never add up to more than 45% of state property tax revenues, and means that property tax revenues must be reduced when property tax values are rising faster than commercial tax. “We are watching that closely,” Tighe said. However, those concerns could become moot if Colorado voters vote for Amendment B, which would repeal the Gallagher Amendment, in November. Those longer-term questions come as the county is trying to come up with around $8.8 million in more cuts to make to its budget for 2021. Doing so will allow the county to maintain the $16.1 million in cuts, including around $8 million in ongoing cuts, that the county had to cut from its budget because of limits on how much the county budget can grow under

SEE GOLD CROWN, P9

SEE COUNTY, P3

Republican Rep. Patrick Neville of Castle Rock, the minority leader of the Colorado House, speaks at the “Stop the COVID Chaos” rally at Bandimere Speedway.

SEE BANDIMERE, P2

PHOTO BY PAUL ALBANI-BURGIO

Gold Crown helps students through remote learning Jeffco and Denver elementary students get school assistance BY JOSEPH RIOS JRIOS@COLORADOCOMMUNITYMEDIA.COM

It has been an unusual start for Jeffco Public Schools and Denver Public Schools students this year. Rather than starting school inperson in August like in any regular year, Jeffco Public Schools students’ first day of school took place in front of a computer for remote learning from Aug. 24 to Sept. 4. Denver Public Schools students are taking

classes remotely through Oct. 16 while the district started bringing preschool students back on Sept. 8, Chalkbeat Colorado reported. But at Gold Crown Foundation in Lakewood, a nonprofit that offers youth sports and education focused programs, around 30 Jeffco Public Schools and Denver Public Schools students had structure that resembles a normal day of school. Students showed up to the nonprofit’s building during the week and sat at

INSIDE: VOICES: PAGE 8 | LIFE: PAGE 10 | SPORTS: PAGE 13

CONNECTING PEOPLE WITH PEOPLE IN NEED Building community through gifts, cash-free exchanges P10


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