Dear Editor
County Commissioner Candidate Dave Armstrong touts his record with Colorado Mountain College(CMC),leading the Friends of Salida Schools(FOSS) that actively campaigned for the Nov, 2019 CMC Annexation, and serving on the post-election transition team and as our local liaison to the CMC Board.
But do you remember the outrage when you learned only after the election the property tax was retroactive to Jan. 2019, 11 months before the election? Who denied voters this crucial information which may have swayed the vote?
Remember the 2019 ballot language, which violated TABOR by not mentioning a tax?
“Shall the properties within the boundaries of Salida School District R-32-J be included in the boundaries of the Colorado Mountain College District, and in doing so expand the availability of low-cost college degrees and certificates; including education and life-long learning; tuition-free concurrent enrollment for high school students; and skilled trades and industry-specific training, on behalf of the residents of Salida School District Number R-32-J.”
Many voted for CMC annexation without understanding voting “yes” resulted in a yearly property tax, $150.48 for me in 2024.
What about the non-existent nursing school? 2019 Mountain Mail:
“Nursing education was a need identified by Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center as a condition of their support.” Was the nursing school concept only floated to sway voters? What ever happened to this vital “Industry-specific training”?
The FOSS political committee received three contributions totaling $5,600 from the Colorado Mountain College Foundation, aka CMC. FOSS used this windfall to influence a “yes” vote. This $5,600 was indeed a great investment! In 2023, CMC received $1.38M of Salidans property tax money!
What about the 2002 Mountain Mail letter: ”Pointless cure for a Bogus ailment”. The leader of FOSS resisted the ability of CMC teachers to unionize, referring to the concept as “interference from antagonists outside the college.” Are Teacher’s Unions “antagonists”?
Many SHS teachers are unhappy with their pay for teaching CMC classes. As a legal matter, exactly where does SHS end and CMC begin? Confusion reigns.
Reality: the CMC annexation political process and implementation was and is an ongoing abuse of public trust. Dave Armstrong-Experience for Chaffee County Commissioner? - Elections - Chaffee County Discourse
I’d love to see a defense of these actions before voting on who deserves a powerful position like Chaffee County Commissioner.
And given full hindsight and the electoral opportunity, would Salida School District residents vote to defund CMC in 2025?
Vince Phillips, Salida
References:
Salida School District Superintendent David Blackburn email from 2020, explaining that the public notification of the retroactive tax was only disclosed in a presentation at a poorly attended meeting early in the political process.
The link referred to in the email is no longer viable, dead link for at least 2 years:
https://www.themountainmail.com/opinion/letters/article_4c4d8274-f98a-11e9-85aa-e37371f6e79a.html
Friends of Salida Schools Tracer Report:
$1.38M in tax Revenue Chaffee County source: 2023 Budget, Page 41.
