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Don't forget: The Taos Municipal Schools bond election is tomorrow!
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Staff report
The Municipal School Bond Election is tomorrow Tuesday, September 23rd.
The Taos County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors voted unanimously to support this bond, and encourages you to vote YES.
Approval of this bond will benefit all Taos Municipal Schools, and will not increase property taxes.
Here are some frequently asked questions about the bond issue:
1. Who can vote?
Any register voter who lives within the boundaries of the Taos Municipal School District. The district extends from Pilar to San Cristóbal, and Tres Piedras to Taos Ski Valley.
2. Where do I vote?
That depends in which precinct you live. Here is a list of precincts and their polling places:
Precincts polling at Old Armory Building, 489 Blueberry Hill Road:
8 - San Cristóbal
9A - Arroyo Hondo
9B - Upper Las Colonias
9C - Valdez
10 - Valdez
11 - Arroyo Seco
12 - El Prado
33 - Taos Ski Valley
Precincts polling at Ranchos Elementary School, 200 Sanders Lane:
17A - Lower Ranchitos
17B - Los Córdovas
19 - Ranchos de Taos
20 - Llano Quemado
21A - Talpa
21B - Talpa
13 - Pilar
34 - South Los Córdovas
Precincts polling at Taos High School, 134 Cervantes Street:
14 - Ranchitos
15A - Taos
15B - Taos
16 - Taos
35 - Cruz Alta
Precincts polling at Taos Pueblo Community Center, Taos Day School Road:
13 - Taos Pueblo
18A - Cañón
18B - Cañón
3. Can I vote early?
Yes. Absentee voters or voters who want to vote early may do so until Monday, Sept. 22, at the Taos County Courthouse located at the corner of Albright Street and Paseo del Pueblo Sur. The election is the next day.
4. What would the bond do?
If passed and sold, the bond would fund construction and renovation projects for all the public and charter schools in the district. While many schools are in desperate need of new classrooms to accommodate a growing student body, almost all of the schools have safety issues the bond would help address — including out-of-date electrical, heating, ventilation and sanitation systems.
In addition, the bond would also fund new buildings, most notably a third-grade wing at Enos García Elementary School, and a new sports complex on district land on Salazar Road. The complex would serve not only as a place for a variety of sports teams to practice, but also as a venue for community events.
5. How much is the bond for?
The bond issue is for $40 million. Although the renovation and construction projects the money is slated for comes to about $36 million, bond agents are asking for more because the projects will take many years to complete and the cost of materials is expected to rise over time.
6. How did they come up with those numbers?
The amount of the bond is based on estimates from architects the district consulted after a list of needed repairs and additions was collected from each school. If the bond is passed, the district will choose a few projects to work on at the same time, and come up with a cost and a time frame to complete the projects. Those numbers will be approved by the state before the district begins construction to ensure the money is spent on what it was intended for.
7. How is the bond paid back?
A portion of the taxes levied upon property owners within the district boundaries will fund the annual payments on the bond.
8. Will my property taxes go up?
Not the portion that pays for the bond. According to school and bonding officials, if the election is successful, the new bond will replace an existing $40 million bond, earmarked for school technology. Since property owners already have been paying for the old bond, they will simply make payments for the new bond — without any increase.
The Taos County Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors voted unanimously to support this bond, and encourages you to vote YES.
Approval of this bond will benefit all Taos Municipal Schools, and will not increase property taxes.
Here are some frequently asked questions about the bond issue:
1. Who can vote?
Any register voter who lives within the boundaries of the Taos Municipal School District. The district extends from Pilar to San Cristóbal, and Tres Piedras to Taos Ski Valley.
2. Where do I vote?
That depends in which precinct you live. Here is a list of precincts and their polling places:
Precincts polling at Old Armory Building, 489 Blueberry Hill Road:
8 - San Cristóbal
9A - Arroyo Hondo
9B - Upper Las Colonias
9C - Valdez
10 - Valdez
11 - Arroyo Seco
12 - El Prado
33 - Taos Ski Valley
Precincts polling at Ranchos Elementary School, 200 Sanders Lane:
17A - Lower Ranchitos
17B - Los Córdovas
19 - Ranchos de Taos
20 - Llano Quemado
21A - Talpa
21B - Talpa
13 - Pilar
34 - South Los Córdovas
Precincts polling at Taos High School, 134 Cervantes Street:
14 - Ranchitos
15A - Taos
15B - Taos
16 - Taos
35 - Cruz Alta
Precincts polling at Taos Pueblo Community Center, Taos Day School Road:
13 - Taos Pueblo
18A - Cañón
18B - Cañón
3. Can I vote early?
Yes. Absentee voters or voters who want to vote early may do so until Monday, Sept. 22, at the Taos County Courthouse located at the corner of Albright Street and Paseo del Pueblo Sur. The election is the next day.
4. What would the bond do?
If passed and sold, the bond would fund construction and renovation projects for all the public and charter schools in the district. While many schools are in desperate need of new classrooms to accommodate a growing student body, almost all of the schools have safety issues the bond would help address — including out-of-date electrical, heating, ventilation and sanitation systems.
In addition, the bond would also fund new buildings, most notably a third-grade wing at Enos García Elementary School, and a new sports complex on district land on Salazar Road. The complex would serve not only as a place for a variety of sports teams to practice, but also as a venue for community events.
5. How much is the bond for?
The bond issue is for $40 million. Although the renovation and construction projects the money is slated for comes to about $36 million, bond agents are asking for more because the projects will take many years to complete and the cost of materials is expected to rise over time.
6. How did they come up with those numbers?
The amount of the bond is based on estimates from architects the district consulted after a list of needed repairs and additions was collected from each school. If the bond is passed, the district will choose a few projects to work on at the same time, and come up with a cost and a time frame to complete the projects. Those numbers will be approved by the state before the district begins construction to ensure the money is spent on what it was intended for.
7. How is the bond paid back?
A portion of the taxes levied upon property owners within the district boundaries will fund the annual payments on the bond.
8. Will my property taxes go up?
Not the portion that pays for the bond. According to school and bonding officials, if the election is successful, the new bond will replace an existing $40 million bond, earmarked for school technology. Since property owners already have been paying for the old bond, they will simply make payments for the new bond — without any increase.
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commonsense wrote on Sep 22, 2008 4:35 PM:
I'm on the citizens committe for this bond & we need it & you should VOTE YES, but....
Let's clear up a couple of things so....
1 - Early voting ended Friday.
2 - While there is a Sports Authority in Taos (yeah!), and the Town, the County and the School District all want to reach a joint agreement for the creation of a sports complex, the bond money for athletic field improvements, if approved as currenlty presented, is for upgrades to EXISTING Facilities, which includes things like the HS football field and the Ranchos elem soccer and baseball fields.... Hopefully there will be money left and available for the jointly shared complex as described above.
3 - The current bond for technology was not $40 mil. It was more like $8 mil & is due to be paid off in 2012. We can now get a higher bonding capacity of $40 mil because of a larger tax base & higher property values. "