For the second time in two years, residents of the Foothills Parks and Recreation District have said "no thanks" to a nearly 40 percent increase in the district's property tax rate.
The district's Web site shows that after Tuesday's special district election, the proposition has failed with 54 percent of the votes cast in opposition to the increase.
In an interview with the the Columbine Courier, the district's IT director said, “We're going to have to change the way we do things." (How much IT infrastructure is involved in running golf courses?)
Maybe the need for change at the allegedly cash-strapped district is just the point politicos should take away from Tuesday's vote. Walt Frankland, a Foothills board member who was opposed to the tax hike, said in an April interview with Face The State that he believes the district has been "mismanaged for a long time."
"They really do need to have extra funds if they're going to continue operating the way they have been," he added. The district has threatened unspecified "service level reductions" later this year without a source of increased revenue, and staff are hinting they may try for a third try at the ballot in the future.
In the buildup to Tuesday's vote, a Face The State investigation revealed the district had used taxpayer money to advocate for the mill levy increase in violation of the state's electioneering law.
Frankland, who has two years left in his term on the Foothills board, will be joined by newcomer Keith Sutton, who was elected Tuesday on a budget-hawk platform including opposition to the tax hike.
In nearby Lakewood, taxpayer advocates are close to winning a battle to do away with the city's unpopular sales tax on groceries. With endless proposals at the state legislature to increase the tax burden on Colorado's working families, it's encouraging to know there's no shortage of people interested in limiting government income and spending, a little bit at a time.