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By Ann Schimke, Chalkbeat
Voters in a Colorado mountain resort region approved the state’s first early childhood special district and passed a sales tax increase that would raise millions for child care efforts, according to Tuesday’s election results.
The new district would include Garfield and Pitkin counties and a corner of Eagle County and cover what backers call the Aspen-to-Parachute corridor.
A similar sales tax measure in Larimer County is failing by about a percentage point, according to unofficial results.
Both measures asked voters for a .25% sales tax increase, the equivalent of 25 cents on every $100 spent. The levies would not apply to food, gas, diapers, or prescription drugs. The proceeds in both cases would help families pay for child care, boost pay for child care workers, and fund child care facility expansion or improvement.
Maggie Tiscornia, outreach director for the ballot measure in Pitkin, Garfield, and Eagle counties, said she was watching the results come in with dozens of supporters at a Carbondale restaurant Tuesday night.
“We’re feeling very optimistic,“ she said. “I’m just incredibly proud and grateful for all of our community support.”
The prospect of creating a “more affordable, more accessible and more welcoming community for families with young children” resonated with voters, she said.
Christina Taylor, CEO of the Early Childhood Council of Larimer County, said Tuesday night that backers hoped the measure could still pass since 20,000 remained uncounted before 9 p.m.
But after additional votes were tallied around midnight, the measure was still failing.
The two ballot issues were the most ambitious among a record number of pitches across Colorado this year that would send new money to child care. In addition to the two sales tax measures, voters in seven rural counties — Chaffee, Custer, Eagle, Gilpin, Hinsdale, Lincoln, and Ouray counties — are deciding on lodging taxes that could generate new funding for child care facilities or related efforts.
Asking voters to raise local taxes to support child care efforts isn’t new, but Colorado lawmakers have made it more attractive in recent years by giving communities new ways to do it. In addition, as federal and state funding recedes, local leaders are looking to ease the budget pinch for pressing needs, including child care and housing.
The measure in Pitkin, Garfield, and Eagle counties is particularly notable because it represents the first use of a 2019 state law that allowed the creation of early childhood special districts. Similar to fire or library districts, the idea behind early childhood districts is that multiple communities or counties can band together and ask voters within their boundaries to levy taxes specifically for early childhood efforts.
The sales tax in the new district, which would be called Confluence Early Childhood Development Special Service District, would generate about $12 million a year.
Tiscornia said the sales tax increase in the new Confluence district will take effect on Jan. 1 and that the new money won’t start funding early childhood initiatives until the second half of 2026.
The sales tax measure in Larimer would have generated nearly $29 million a year. Some of the money would have be used for sliding-scale child care subsidies, with every family eligible for some help.
Another chunk of the money would have be used for quarterly wage subsidies for child care employees, many of whom earn $16 to $19 an hour. A smaller amount would help providers upgrade or expand their facilities.
Ann Schimke is a senior reporter at Chalkbeat, covering early childhood issues and early literacy. Contact Ann at [email protected].
