Snowmass approves property tax ballot measure on first reading

Snowmass residents will likely vote in November whether or not to increase their contribution to the Aspen School District. 

Snowmass Town Council approved Monday the first reading of a ballot measure asking voters to increase the town’s contributions to the Aspen School District from $500,000 to $1 million. With a 2024/25 base teacher salary of $52,750, the Aspen School District would partly use the tax funding — called the Snowmass Village Public Education Fund — for staff raises, a necessary step amid recent funding cuts from the state, according to district officials. 

“And therefore this really is necessary to augment the revenues for the schools so they can maintain the quality of education they’re providing for our students,” Snowmass Town Council member Tom Fridstein said of the tax’s relevance amid the cuts when speaking to “The Aspen Times” Tuesday.

Should the question land on the ballot and voters approve the tax increase from $500,000 to $1 million, Snowmass residents who own a house worth $1 million in actual value could expect to see their property taxes increase from $37 to $73 annually. 

The tax would be imposed at a fixed mill rate, meaning the amount levied per year would change depending on properties’ assessed value. If passed, the town would levy $1.02 million the first year — with $1 million contributed to the school district and $20,000 to pay Pitkin County a fee for collecting the tax — but could change in years to come if  assessed property values change. 

The tax would begin in 2026 and continue annually for the next five years, replacing the existing $500,000 tax, which currently has a final collection year of 2027.

The increase would align Snowmass’ financial contributions with the proportion of Snowmass residents in the Aspen School District’s student body. 

Snowmass currently has 318 students attending the district, constituting 20.4% of the student body, according to Aspen School District Controller Max Marolt. But the town’s current $500,000 contribution to the school makes up 9.1% of the $5.5 million contributed to the district by the city of Aspen, the town of Snowmass, and the Aspen Education Foundation, a nonprofit fundraising organization.

The increase to $1 million would bring Snowmass’ contribution to 18.2% of the $5.5 million, almost proportional to their 20.4% student-body makeup. 

ASD asked for increased funding after Colorado removed state contributions to the district and redirected funds to less-wealthy school districts. With the redistribution, the district estimated it would lose roughly $5 million, with funding decreases beginning in 2031. 

In addition to the reallocation, the district has already been operating at a financial deficit for four of the past five years, according to district officials. 

Snowmass could also choose to increase other school-based taxes this November. Snowmass Village residents who own a property with an actual value of $1 million might also be looking at a $65 property tax increase should the school district put a $100 million bond on the ballot as well as a $68 property tax increase should the district decide to ask voters to approve a mill levy override increase, according to the district.

Though the decision to increase the Snowmass Village Public Education Fund tax will ultimately fall to voters, having a strong school district is one of the reasons people want to live in the area, according to Snowmass Mayor Alyssa Shenk.

“Stong schools make for good community,” she told “The Aspen Times” Tuesday, “because people want to be here.” 

The town will give the ballot question a second and final reading on Sept. 2.

Skyler Stark-Ragsdale can be reached at 970-429-9152 or email him at sstark-ragsdale@aspentimes.com.