Westminster 10-24-2013
October 24, 2013
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A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourwestminsternews.com
Adams County and Jefferson County, Colorado • Volume 69, Issue 1
Amendment 66: What’s in it for Jeffco? Precise funding for the district is difficult to nail down By Vic Vela
vvela@ourcoloradonews.com
Westminster Mayor Nancy McNally speaks during the celebration of the opening of the new Uptown Avenue and Wadsworth Parkway Bridges on Oct. 15. The Uptown Avenue Bridge, formerly known as Olde Wadsworth/112th Avenue, is the second bridge of five to be replaced on the US Express Lanes Project. Photo by Ashley Reimers
Bridge opens By Ashley Reimers
areimers@ourcoloradonews.com
Another bridge completion along the US 36 Express Lanes project was celebrated recently, marking the second of five bridges to be replaced thus far. Members of the Colorado Department of Transportation, Regional Transportation District and city officials from Westminster and Broomfield came together on Oct. 15 to open the new Uptown Avenue bridge, formerly known as the Olde Wadsworth/112th Avenue bridge. The new Wadsworth Parkway bridge, the first completed replacement bridge which opened on Oct. 5, was also celebrated during the event. “We are thrilled to reach this milestone,” said Mark Gosselin, US 36 Express Lanes project director. “The Uptown Avenue and the Wadsworth Parkway bridges are vital connections for the regional and local communiPOSTAL ADDRESS
ties.” The US 36 Express Lanes project is a $312 million, multimodule project between Federal Boulevard and 88th Avenue Street in Louisville/Superior. The project is building an express lane in each direction of U.S. 36. The lanes will accommodate high-occupancy vehicles, bus rapid transit and tolled single-occupancy vehicles. Phase 1, currently under construction, will extend from Federal Boulevard to 88th Street in Louisville/Superior and open by January 2015. Phase 2, which is expected to begin this winter, will extend from 88th Street to Table Mesa in Boulder and is set to open in January 2016. Other bridges up for replacement in
the project are the Wadsworth Boulevard bridge at 112 Avenue, Lowell Boulevard and Sheridan Boulevard bridges as well as the U.S. 36 bridge over the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railway. Improvements will be made on the Westminster Promenade bridge and the East and West Flatiron bridges. The project will include new electronic display signage at stations and bus priority improvements at ramps and the total cost of the project is $317 million. “This bridge represents progress to me and is part of the FasTracks Progress,” said Judy Lubow, RTD District I Director. “The Uptown Avenue bridge is part of the infrastructure that is facilitating FasTracks and in 2016 we will see Bus Rapid Transit come to his area and be a fast, reliable, high quality form of transit for the commuters in the north.” Printed on recycled The US 36 Express Lanes project has newsprint. Please been a collaborative effort amongst recycle this copy. CDOT, RTD, contractor Ames/Granite Joint Venture, the U.S. 36 Mayors and Commissioners Coalition and the Bridge continues on Page 6
It is widely accepted that if voters approve Amendment 66 on Nov. 5, the measure will pump at least $71 million of new funding into Jefferson County Public Schools. After that, who knows? There are a number of complexities tied the school finance overhaul ballot question, which makes it difficult for supporters to articulate a “bottom line” dollar figure to uneasy voters. At the same, it’s not uncommon to hear opponents discount nuance when talking about Amendment 66’s involved funding structure, often citing funding percentages that are probably worst case scenario for Jeffco. If passed, the measure would create $950 million in new taxes initially and about $1 billion in 2015 to enact major changes to the state’s school finance formula. The measure would fund full-day kindergarten, preschool for at-risk youth and would provide more resources for English language learners, special education students and children who are in gifted and talented programs. Additionally, the measure aims to reduce class sizes and would reform per-pupil funding statewide in a more equitable fashion, proponents argue. But the overhaul comes with a hefty price tag. Amendment 66 would raise taxes on all Colorado taxpayers. The twotiered proposal would raise income taxes to 5 percent on everyone earning $75,000 or less. Those who earn over that amount would pay 5 percent on the first $75,000 in taxable income and 5.9 percent on taxable income above $75,000. Colorado’s current income tax rate is a flat 4.63 percent, regardless of income level. But just how much of those tax dollars will end up going to Jeffco schools is a question that nobody can answer at this time. Amendment 66 proponents acknowledge that taxpayers in Jefferson County will not see a 100-percent return on investment, meaning that a good portion of their tax dollars will go to students in other school districts. That’s a key fact that opponents often latch on to when arguing against the amendment. But supporters say that’s the Amendment continues on Page 6
Heidi Floyd, a teacher-librarian at Edgewater Elementary School, instructs second grade students during an Oct. 21 lesson. Photo by Vic Vela