Eye On Englewood

Link: http://www.EyeOnEnglewood.com

Where's that little blue book when you need it? You know, the one that tells you the pro's and con's of an election issue? Some nice ladies dropped a flyer in person by my house, and I got a handwritten postcard in the mail, so I decided to read what I could find on 3D and 3E in the Englewood Herald.

Rick Gillit just wrote an article that was published. He took the diplomatic stance, "Well, I'm not about to slap down the children's educational needs, but I'm just not sure that's what this money is about."

So,I analyzed the property tax issue generally. Most property tax goes directly to the City, and only a portion of it goes to the school district.

I had to ask. Why did the school board request so much money? John Brick wrote an opinion against 3D and 3E saying,

"New facilities are important to a quality facility asset management program but the district needs to be careful of “empire building.” Englewood’s citizens lag behind in wages and household income.

Is it better to wait a year to approve the bond issue until the school district answers the important questions about its size and focus? We stand at the crossroads of more of the same in a new building or schools that build neighborhood identity and contribute to our community economically, politically, and culturally. Let’s ask the district what is our return on investment."

I believe John Brick is right. It is to pay for the empire building of City Manager Gary Sears. Englewood, as City, is IN DEBT. I think that Matthew Crabtree and Bryan Oliver nicely laid out the budget deficit in their political debate at Moe's Barbecue earlier this month. Over the past five years, Englewood has dipped into the emergency assets and reserves to approve the City Manager's recommended budget to the tune of $10,000,000 (that's million) dollars!

I saw that Colorado also has a school tax increase on the ballot, and we will be paying for that as well as benefiting from it. So, I kind of feel like our children are being illicitly marketed to manipulate us to pay for the mess Gary Sears and the present City Council, minus Rick Gillit, has gotton us into. Mr. Gillit is the only councilmember who voted "no" on the budget.

And before him,-- put these pieces together will you?-- Laurett Barrentine was the only city councilmember to ask to review the line item budget and discuss it before voting. So, that lot of council asked Mr. Penn, whose wife represents the school board, to run against her. The popular coach won the last election. Now, Englewood is even more IN DEBT.

Renovations to the school do not cost that much. All the rest is going to sweep the DEBT under the rug...now, it's your expense. (For the rest of your life)

Bill Clayton, wrote another opinion for the Englewood Herald. He broke it down for us.

"For instance, the tax increase brochure describes how this will be paid for with a $5 per month increase on a home value of $100,000. Aside from the fact that most homes in Englewood are worth a lot more than $100,000 and therefore will pay much more, this certainly implies that the residents of Englewood will pay the cost of those bonds and tax increase with a nominal increase in taxes.

This is deceptive, and could not be further from the truth, which is that residents, who can vote, only pay about 40 percent of the property taxes in Englewood. The vast majority of property tax is paid by business property owners, who pay property taxes at a rate four times that of a residence. This means a business property, or vacant land worth $100,000 will pay $20 per month.

Since most of this tax increase will be paid by the businesses we frequent, these additional taxes will be passed along to all residents as higher prices, making every family’s total tax bill at least double the amount suggested by the school district.

Those of us who believe in the principle of "no taxation without representation" find it to be reprehensible that our school district, which is charged with teaching good government and citizenship, seems to care little about that basic principle."

One mom responded kind of nasty to Mr. Clayton's opinion saying she didn't care how much it cost everyone else, she wanted to give her child the best education. The problem with that thinking is the suggestion that we throw money at a building and it somehow motivates the teachers to teach, and gives them all the rest of the tools they need to do their job better. There are too many missing links for me in that equation. When I looked at the handwritten post card I received in the mail, I saw that not once did it mention better education.

I'm all for renovation of gentrified buildings, but there are fundraisers that these parents could pull off to raise needed money. They could put on concerts or sports events, spelling bees, contests and parades to raise money!

Instead, the school board hired a consulting firm to study the median income of Englewood and suggest what kind of money could reasonably be raised. The firm capped the suggested taxes lower than a third of what this bond issue entails. Then, why so greedy?

I would like to think that if the school board AMENDED its proposition and made a less greedy request next year, and we voted onto council people who were committed to rectifying the budget by other means, well we would gladly foot the bill for classy renovations.

I have to agree with Mr. Clayton this time. He concluded, "Apparently Englewood Schools aren’t all that interested in the principles of representative government and good citizenship as long as they can get their tax increase passed."

Link: http://www.EyeOnEnglewood.com

If Steve Schalk and Jon Cook have their differences, these developers agree on one thing. With the present economy, and business lagging on Broadway, Englewood’s signs, banners and mural codes need an overhaul. Mr. Schalk (pronounced shock) is the owner of the Gothic Theater and also Moe’s Barbecue and Bowling Alley near Dartmouth. Cook's newly developed business at Yale and Broadway hosts Colore! Italian cuisine.

On Monday evening, Council was treated to an entourage of complaints from unreasonable sign codes to moms, dads and little kids about dogs rushing them and jumping them in parks. Apparently, the city has decided not to intervene in the parks between unleashed dogs and children by putting up fences. They cited expenses for this consensus. But, a father, also appearing as a professional educator, addressed the liabilities the City would incur if even one child was bitten, and they had not chosen to protect humanity above the beasts.

One mother reprimanded Councilwoman Wilson for physically turning her back while an honor student presented a video on unleashed dogs at last Council’s meeting. Wilson apologized and said she was only searching for something in her purse.

Between these complaints, was an attorney representing the medical marijuana industry warning them about their vote on a moratorium and offering his legal aid free of charge to develop appropriate ordinances.

Laurette Barrantine addressed council on their ethical abuse of Citizen seats on boards and commissions stating the conflict is not just one of finance, but of power and the appearances of undue influence. She tried to clear her own name as the Council had previously claimed she had held a seat on Code Enforcement herself during her term on Council. She stated that yes, at first, this was the case, until she recognized there were ethical issues, and resigned from the board. She challenged both the Mayor and also Jill Wilson to take the high road and accused them of defaulting to what City Attorney Brotzman informed them they could get away with.

Another interesting spokesperson was Laura Bartnick representing her household as a Small Group Home, and requesting the Mayor use his trump card to set the City’s reputation aright or else send her an official letter to specify as to what “full compliance” with the City's remaining two regulations would look like. Her boarding house won two and lost two which didn't get dismissed yet the implications of it are still unclear. Her comments included that the City has not been forthcoming with codes or communications over the two years she has been seeking their help. She related to me that the City’s intention has never been to grandfather in their home, and it has been an unending expensive game of chess or cat and mouse.

There is an old adage, “Just when I found the answers, they changed all the rules.”

During Mayor’s choice at the conclusion of a long evening, he responded that it was unfortunate, but because the City was a Manager Council run government form, that his hands were tied as to the municipal court findings, and he could not see how he could help the Bartnick household.

Attorney Brotzman leaned over and whispered loud enough for the audience to hear, “Yes, yes you can.” (Listen to Mayor at bottom of the page).

A spectator commented, “Does anyone know who the Mayor is here? Because it doesn’t seem like he knows who he is or what power he has.”

If Mayor Woodward gets re-elected this year, he will have served more than two terms on council and by the time he is finished he will have tucked 10 years under his belt.

Well, it was almost midnight and Cinderella and I were both about to turn into pumpkins, so I hit the road.