Whether you support or oppose the mill levy override (MLO) that the Douglas County School District recently approved for the ballot, we should all agree that taxpayer money should never be used to promote a proposed ballot measure.

Unfortunately, over $140,000 has already been paid this year to a consulting firm to “campaign manage” and set messaging for this tax increase. The agreement with DCSD says the consulting firm will “build and launch a winning Campaign” – which includes everything from focus groups to polling. On top of that, DCSD has spent even more taxpayer money on paid media efforts for the MLO.

I became aware of these tactics when the last MLO was on the ballot and my kids came home with flyers about it in their Thursday folders. We’ve also received emails highlighting why DCSD needs to pass a tax increase. The only reason the district has our emails to begin with is because our kids go to the local public school. Imagine if state politicians used emails from our tax returns to send out positive information about Proposition HH. Or if they used taxpayer money to send mailers out with their own “facts” about a tax increase. People would rightfully be outraged.

When it comes to the MLO itself, it is hard to imagine a worse time to bring a property tax increase to voters than this year. Douglas County’s property assessments went up by an average of 47% - which is more than any other county in the metro area. People are worried, and they should be.

In neighboring Arapahoe County, elected officials decided not to put a tax increase on the ballot saying, “This fall’s general election is not the right time to float a tax measure. The decision comes after recent polling indicated a lack of voter support and resident fatigue regarding property valuations and the implications for next year’s (property) tax bills.” This seems like an obvious conclusion to everyone but our school district.

As a former elementary school teacher, I believe that teachers should get paid more. Fortunately, Douglas County School District will already see a double-digit increase in funding next year. This is because as property tax revenue goes up across the state, per pupil spending in every school district will also increase. Despite the district’s false and bizarre claim that they will not benefit at all from the higher property taxes (that it will have a “$0 impact” on local funding), DCSD will, in fact, see a big increase in funding next year. Every dollar of that increase should go straight to teachers.

Given what is happening with property taxes in our state, people are understandably scared they are going to get taxed out of their homes. Prop HH doesn’t fix the problem – and another mill levy override would only make it worse. Vote No on #5A and #5B.

Michael Fields is a Douglas County Resident and Senior Advisor to Advance Colorado Action