Members of the 7A and 7C ballot measure campaigns gave presentations Thursday night in preparation of the upcoming Nov. 4 ballot. 

The presentations and succeeding questions and answers were part of the Fall 2025 Issues and Answers, held at Morgridge Commons in Glenwood. 

Coalition Director of the Confluence Early Childhood Education Coalition Maggie Tiscornia and former RFSD Superintendent and 7A Strong Start, Bright Future volunteer Rob Stein spoke in favor of ballot measure 7A. Tiscornia is the leader of the coalition that created the ballot measure, with Stein as a member. 

Colorado Mountain College President Matt Gianneschi spoke about measure 7C. 

The event was hosted by the Glenwood Springs Chamber Resort Association and CoWest Noticias Collaborative and moderated by Glenwood Springs Post Independent Publisher Peter Baumann and Sopris Sun Editor Raleigh Burleigh. 

7A

If approved, ballot measure 7A would implement a 0.25% sales tax on non-essential items in Garfield, Pitkin, and parts of Eagle Counties to support early childcare. 

The money raised would be used to lower the cost of preschool and childcare for families, expand capacity of preschool and childcare facilities, and increase wages for preschool and childcare teachers and staff. The measure would also enact a second vote for a five member board who would oversee where and how the money was used. 

“There’s no better investment we can make in children than in those first five years before they start kindergarten,” Stein said. “90% of brain development happens during those first five years, and we know that kids who have access to high quality early childhood education and childcare are not only better prepared for kindergarten, but they do better in school…”

Tiscornia expanded upon his point, explaining how the measure was specifically designed to support and improve access to early childcare from Aspen to Parachute. 

“Unlike other types of districts, it’s not intended to operate facilities or establish programs,” she said. “Rather it’s to fund our early childhood system that’s in place because we have a diversity of providers. But we want to support that sector so that families have more options and more affordable options and that they can choose the care that meets their needs.”

After giving the presentation, the two members of the coalition took questions from the moderators. When asked why they chose to support a sales tax rather than property taxes or other measures, Stein explained that it was “frankly the only means.”

“We spent several years holding focus groups and surveying, and we learned that there’s no pathway for a real estate tax, because of rising property values and the tax burden people are already experiencing. We were told that it was a much more viable pathway.”

Tiscornia also added that the heavy tourism factor that the area’s economy relies on will help supplement the additional tax. 

“We have a strong tourism industry and our visitors will contribute substantially to this fund,” she said. “Between Aspen and Glenwood, between 65 and 70% of sales tax revenue is paid by visitors. They rely on our workforce in order to enjoy our tourism, and our workforce relies on childcare.”

7C

Ballot measure 7C is designed to allow Colorado Mountain College to operate at a pre-approved property tax rate without raising current taxes, reaffirming the flexibility provided to CMC by voters in 2018. 

“7C is not a replacement of any tax that we have had in the past,” Gianneschi said. “In 2018, CMC ran a question in order to allow the college to have flexibility when the state was making adjustments in property tax assessments. That particular measure passed 71% in our tax district, which is not just this region. It includes Eagle County, Summit County, Lake County, Steamboat Springs, and Salida.”

The college is seeking more flexibility after giving back nearly $50 million in tax refunds to the communities over the past two years. 

After the Colorado state legislature passed Bill 1001 in 2024, local government’s revenue growth was capped at 5.25% per year, trapping CMC a full Mill Levy below what they are approved to operate at. If approved, CMC would regain the ability to operate within the level approved by voters in 2018. 

“What this measure would do is simply allow us to have the flexibility to work within the existing approved number,” Gianneschi said. 

The CMC President finished his presentation by explaining the possible benefits if the ballot measure passes, including hefty investments in a skilled trade center in Rifle, before taking questions from the moderators. 

Gianneschi explained that the sky wouldn’t fall on the college if 7C wasn’t approved, but said it wouldn’t be possible to supply the current and growing demand throughout the area. 

“In order to achieve greater demand, or to reach the greater demand, we would have to grow on some of our scale,” he explained. “Right now, all of our skilled trade programs are full with waiting lists, and we can’t fit more people into those programs without expanding the facility itself. I think that’s where you’d see the greatest constraint. We just wouldn’t be able to grow to reach the demand.”