Plan to give Windsor schools oil, gas dollars may require vote
Adrian D. Garcia, The Coloradoan Town Attorney Ian McCargar told Vazquez and Windsor Town Board on Monday that the board can’t commit funds to the Weld RE-4 School District on a long-term basis without approval from the Windsor electorate.
“If you tie your hands into future fiscal years in some way, it’s TABOR,” McCargar told the board. Under Colorado’s Taxpayer Bill of Rights, or TABOR, voters would need to pass a ballot question on Vaquez’s plan.
In December, Vazquez said 10 percent of the town’s unexpected revenue should be used for schools. Oil and gas royalties in the town’s Capital Improvement Fund totaled $1.4 million in 2014, meaning under the mayor’s proposal $140,000 would have gone to area schools.
Last year, Vazquez was asked by Town Board members to hold off on advancing his plan via a citizens initiative so that the board had an opportunity to reach an agreement on how the royalty dollars should be used.
Board member Myles Baker said Monday he would prefer if school officials would ask Town Board to use the money for specific projects rather than the town automatically allotting a fixed amount to Weld RE-4 each year.
Deciding on an annual basis how much of the royalty dollars to give the schools may not require voter approval, McCargar said.
Baker also raised concerns about what would happen if the town’s royalty dollars were to decline being that the town currently uses the revenue for capital improvements.
Vazquez countered that the town shouldn’t become “dependent” on the funds being that they could go away if the oil and gas activity in the area were to decline.
“These (funds) are an opportunity for us to share a blessing,” Vazquez said. “These are not taxpayer dollars; these are revenues that belong to the citizens of Windsor, and the kids are also citizens.”
Windsor Town Board will continue its discussion on how to use the funds in coming weeks. Vazquez asked the town attorney to check on the TABOR requirements.
Vazquez said he’d like a formal plan on how to support area schools and would vocally support a citizens initiative if it came up.
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