Unofficial election results for Archuleta County from yesterday’s general election showed overwhelming support for a seven-year property tax increase, to fund better teacher salaries for the Archuleta School District… and a lack of popular support for a “Justice System Capital Improvements” sales tax increase that opponents had estimated at $44 million over 15 years.
Republican candidates Alvin Schaaf (County Commissioner), Elsa P. White (Treasurer) and Richard Valdez (Sheriff) coasted to victory in this Republican-dominated county.
The School District’s 5A mill levy override will collect $1.7 million annually in added property taxes, to be used to “recruit and retain highly qualified teachers and staff; fund full time school resource officers for safety; fund full day Kindergarten; and provide required funding for Pagosa Peak Open School [charter school] to increase staff salaries, supplement full day Kindergarten, and improve school safety.”
The Archuleta County ballot measure, 1A, had proposed to increase the County-allocated sales tax from 2 percent to 3 percent — to fund a new Sheriff’s office and County Detention Center, and spend millions of additional dollars on unspecified “Justice System Capital Improvements.” 1A proponents had focused on the need for a new, larger jail to replace the existing 34-bed jail — abandoned by Sheriff Rich Valdez and the Board of County Commissioners in 2015, following a roof leak.
This is the second failure by the BOCC to win a “Justice System” sales tax increase in as many years.
From the Pagosa Springs SUN website:
Archuleta County Commissioner, District 3
Alvin Schaaf (Republican): 4,750 votes
Write-in Elizabeth Dickerson: 138 votes
Archuleta County Treasurer
Elsa P. White (Republican): 3,952 votes
Debbie Condrey (Democrat): 2,586 votes
Archuleta County Sheriff
Richard Valdez (Republican): 4,608 votes
Rob Keating (unaffiliated): 1,093 votes
Cole W. Graham (unaffiliated): 575 votes
Ballot Issue 1A: County sales tax increase for justice system facilities
Yes/for: 3,128 votes [47%]
No/against: 3,547 votes [53%]
Ballot issue 5A: Archuleta School District mill levy override
Yes/for: 3,948 votes [61%]
No/against: 2,499 votes [39%]