RE-2 District Leaders Get Hit With Surprising Knock-out Blow
Trevor Phipps
The Woodland Park Council versus the RE-2 District School Board tussle has reached a temporary conclusion, with WP elected leaders saying “no more” in the city’s continual efforts to collect a 1.09 percent sales tax to support the schools.
The move, which occurred early last week, resulted in a surprising 180-degree turn by the council, but one apparently fueled by news of a pending facility sales plan by the school district.
The city council voted unanimously on March 6 to table an ordinance that would have ended the sales tax increase on July 1. This earlier decision set the stage for what many described as a pending peace pact between the two entities over the sales tax issue, and would have allowed the levy to continue indefinitely. This peace treaty didn’t last for long.
In fact, four days later, the council called an emergency meeting to pass an ordinance to immediately end the sales tax increase. Since it was an emergency ordinance, it needed a unanimous vote from all of the council members to pass. And in the end, every council member voted to remove the tax increase.
The drastic switch on their stance came about after the city council got their hands on the agenda for the March 12 school board meeting, shortly after their earlier vote on March 6. The school board’s agenda had an item listed under “action” that dealt with the Merit Academy charter facility.
Another document discovered by the city council was a resolution outlining the sale of the former Woodland Park Middle School building to Merit Academy for $5 million on a 30-year loan at a 2.5 percent interest rate. A condition of the sale written in the resolution stated, “on the event of loss or reduction of the 1.09% sales tax to the district, the sale shall be completed within 60 days for funds already received, with no further payments required after the aforementioned event.”
This proposed resolution raised the ire of the entire council, including two veteran leaders who have endorsed working with the school district on the tax issue for months.
After reading the documents, the city acted quickly to call a special meeting on March 10 to address the special ordinance to immediately end the sales tax. Public comment was taken to a packed crowd of more than 100 people with another 150 watching online.
Out of the 28 people that spoke in front of city council during the special meeting it was nearly split in half with those supporting the council removing the tax and those thinking the tax should stay. Some said that due to the possible sale of the Merit Academy building the council should take the tax away. Others argued that the tax should stay since it was approved by voters twice.
Emotional Arguments Showcased, Again
Many of the residents speaking noted that the school board has taken things away from the district, and mentioned their efforts to merge the middle school and high school and close Gateway Elementary. “Three years ago, or maybe a lifetime, it certainly feels like a lifetime, I stood in front of the Woodland Park School district board and begged them to focus on the kids, all of the kids,” Teller resident Stephanie Merl said. “I begged the school board not to harm our kids and if they could not avoid harming, maybe they could at least leave the kids alone. Instead, I watched them take away our kids’ stability, a building, two buildings, lost teachers, driven away friends and driven away families. The loss of tax will solve the blackmail of locking the city into this tax. But it won’t stop the continued abuse of our kids at the whim of the school board.”
Others that supported the council’s eventual decision claimed that the sale price and interest rate for the proposed sale of the former middle school building to Merit Academy was too low. “This amounts to a hostile takeover of a public building paid for by the taxpayers,” said resident and real estate agent Gail Gehrig. “This resolution represents the worst real estate contract I have ever read. If a real estate agent representing the district’s best interest wrote this resolution contract, I would think that they would be subject to malpractice or sanctions.”
But many residents and influential figures in the community spoke in favor of keeping the tax.
They questioned the council’s authority to hold an emergency meeting to immediately strip away the sales tax. Moreover, they believe the council is usurping the will of the voters by taking the tax away with such a sudden and urgent move.
“What happened over the weekend where you made a significant public reversal and developed a brand new ordinance to repeal the tax and do it immediately?” asked Woodland Park resident Mike Perini, who helped organize a community-based campaign last fall to repeal an earlier plan to kill the tax. “Nearly 60 percent of the residents voted four months ago to keep the funding because of the benefits to kids and teachers. Once again, their vote is not being respected if you proceed, it appears that your action might be based on an inaccurate document. But, I understand you have been informed of the error and I believe the district has distributed a press release as well.”
Towards the end of the meeting, RE-2 School Board President Mick Bates said that the posting of the controversial agenda item, surrounding the sale of the building to Merit Academy, was an accident. “That should have never been listed as an action item and that’s on me,” Bates said. “I didn’t do a final review, and it should have been a discussion item and I have shared that with people this weekend.”
But in the end, it was too little too late to control the apparent political damage. Even Councilman George Jones and Mayor Kellie Case, who have consistently supported working with the school district in keeping the tax hike, changed their tune on the situation. “I would just tell you; I’m done. I’m done with this,” Councilman Jones stated. “I’m done with the back and forth. I don’t think the city has the right structure to do this kind of school funding.”
Mayor Case said that the city council wasn’t qualified to collect and implement a sales tax for the schools. Plus, she noted that she actually disagreed with the levy when it was first passed in 2016. “That’s not what we’re here for,” Case said. “An alternative form of funding would be for the school district to go for its own tax and that they administer their own tax. That is not the job of city council. We have given it a heck of a shot and we have been behind it for many years.
The council’s decision has raised questions regarding the next move for the school district, which is undergoing key administrative changes (see related story). Also, the issue has not reached an end politically or possibly legally. A recall effort, mounted against most council members, has been started. The main reason for the campaign deals with the previous opposition by most members to continue the sales tax hike.
Councilwoman Baldwin Calls it Quits
Shortly after the emergency meeting concluded, the city of Woodland Park issued a press release stating that Councilwoman Teri Baldwin submitted her resignation. Baldwin had been a council member since she was elected in April 2024. Her resignation was effective immediately. She was one of the council members targeted by the recall campaign.
“Thank you to city staff for your support during this past year,” Baldwin said. “It was an honor to be elected to represent the citizens of Woodland Park.”
According to the press release, the council will now begin the process of filling the vacant seat.
