Ballot Issue 4A raises Garfield School District RE-2 property taxes by $4.7 million a year for basic educational purposes. The district's Board of Education referred it unanimously on August 26, 2026, citing Section 22-54-108 of the Colorado Revised Statutes, under which a district may seek voter approval of additional local revenue. The money goes into the general fund, in addition to the property taxes otherwise levied for that fund. The question names three uses "among other things": attracting, training and retaining teachers; maintaining competitive salaries and wages for teachers, aides, bus drivers, custodians and other support staff; and maintaining class sizes that enhance student learning. In the district's announcement of the vote, Superintendent Kirk Banghart said the revenue would go to employee base salaries, and board member Cassie Haskell said, "the mill levy override is for salaries."
Garfield RE-2 Salary Override
My concern with Issue 4A starts with how the levy is set: each year, at whatever rate produces $4.7 million. When assessed values in the district fall, the mill rate climbs, and property owners together pay the same total on property worth less. The superintendent has said the money goes to base salaries, so the tax pays a salary cost that continues every year. The question sets no end date, and the resolution makes the approval a continuing authority that does not lapse with time. A fixed-dollar levy is designed to hold the district's revenue at $4.7 million in a falling market and to leave the difference to property owners, and I do not support adding one to the 10.753 override mills RE-2 levied for tax year 2025.
I recommend a no vote on Garfield School District RE-2 Ballot Issue 4A.
SHALL GARFIELD SCHOOL DISTRICT NO. RE-2 TAXES BE INCREASED $4.7 MILLION ANNUALLY FOR BASIC EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES, WHICH MONEYS SHALL BE USED TO, AMONG OTHER THINGS ATTRACT, TRAIN, AND RETAIN HIGH-QUALITY TEACHERS; MAINTAIN COMPETITIVE SALARIES AND WAGES FOR DISTRICT TEACHERS, TEACHER'S AIDES, BUS DRIVERS, CUSTODIANS, AND OTHER SUPPORT STAFF, AND MAINTAIN CLASS SIZES THAT ENHANCE STUDENT LEARNING; THROUGH A PROPERTY TAX OVERRIDE MILL LEVY TO BE IMPOSED ANNUALLY AT A RATE SUFFICIENT TO PRODUCE THE FIXED AMOUNT SET FORTH ABOVE, TO BE DEPOSITED INTO THE GENERAL FUND OF THE DISTRICT, AND TO BE IN ADDITION TO THE PROPERTY TAXES THAT OTHERWISE WOULD BE LEVIED FOR THE GENERAL FUND?
The district could impose an additional property tax override set to produce $4.7 million annually for its general fund.
This question would not authorize the additional $4.7 million annual override.
The question's $4.7 million a year, set against Garfield RE-2 School District's certified assessed value for tax year 2025 ($857,867,090), works out to about 5.479 mills: $5.48 a year for every $1,000 of taxable assessed value.
Example at $100,000 taxable assessed value
$100,000 × about 5.479 ÷ 1,000 = $547.87
Taxable assessed value is not a home's market value. For 2026 it is about 6% to 7% of the actual value the county assessor sets. A home with an actual value of $500,000 has an assessed value of about $30,600 for local government taxes and $35,250 for school district taxes.
An estimate: the mill figure uses the district's certified assessed value for tax year 2025, and the value when the tax is collected will differ. The question states a dollar amount ($4.7 million a year), not a mill rate. This is the added tax, not the total property tax bill.
Each year the district sets the override at whatever mill rate produces $4.7 million, so the rate falls when the district's assessed value grows and rises when it shrinks. The override has no end date. The resolution makes voter approval a continuing authority that no lapse of time exhausts.
For tax year 2025 the Division of Property Taxation lists the district's total levy at 31.112 mills: a 9.7-mill general levy, 10.753 override mills, a 10.61-mill bond levy and a 0.049-mill abatement levy.
In June the board adopted a $90.3 million budget for 2026-27. The Post Independent reported that the district projected $500,000 of deficit spending, part of it from about $2.6 million added to payroll to retain returning staff. It also reported that the general fund in that budget, expected to total $73.9 million, would leave around $18 million to carry into the next year.
Issue 4B, referred by the same board vote, would authorize up to $118 million in borrowing for capital assets, repaid by extending the bond tax district voters approved in 2006. Under the resolution, each question takes effect on a majority of the votes cast on it, so a yes majority on 4A puts the new levy in place whether 4B passes or fails.
- Supporters of Garfield RE-2Contributions $27,575 · Expenditures $12,640
- Regular Board Meeting agenda packet, August 26, 2026 (resolution calling the November 3, 2026 election, Appendix A ballot issues)Garfield School District RE-2 · Aug 26, 2026The source is the Garfield RE-2 regular board meeting agenda packet dated August 26, 2026, and it includes Appendix A ballot issue language for a $4.7 million property tax override for salaries and related educational uses.
- Garfield Re-2 Board places bond, mill levy override on November ballotGarfield School District RE-2 · Aug 31, 2026The source is a Garfield Re-2 School District news post dated Aug. 31, 2026, reporting that the board placed a mill levy override for staff salaries and a bond on the Nov. 3, 2026 ballot.
- SUPPORTERS OF GARFIELD RE-2Colorado Secretary of State · Aug 27, 2026