Dear Editor and Readers,

We bought our property in Gilpin County in 1982 from Hop Evans of Evans Reality and have been paying our Gilpin County property taxes ever since.

We have always paid the RE-2 education tax and have seen it increase over the years as the voters in the District approved measures to keep up with the growth in students and provide the resources to give these children the best education possible.

The current mill levy for the RE-2 education tax is 48 mills. It might seem like a lot compared to RE-1’s but it is reasonable compared to other Districts (Jeffco=44, Denver=50, Dougco=52). The difference between RE-1 and RE-2 is not because RE-1 is more efficient in their practices. The costs per student are about the same. You are living in the same age and the costs to educate a child are about the same no matter where you live.

RE-1 has a low mill levy because they rely on balancing their yearly budget with supplemental revenue in the form of the Black Hawk Educational Enhancement Tax (BH EET). This tax is a sales tax of 1.5% on every drink, dinner, and overnight stay in Black Hawk which is projected to be about $1.9 million for 2026.

The problem with this tax is that the people who are taxed (casino patrons, tourists) don’t receive any benefit from paying this tax. It’s taxation without representation. When you take from people through compulsory compliance and don’t give them anything in return it is kind of like stealing from them. Why should they have to pay to educate the kids in RE-1 when the responsibility is on the community in RE-1 to educate their own children.

I have heard comments from friends from RE-1 who snicker at the thought of paying their fair share to educate their children when they can grift off of the patrons who frequent Black Hawk and squeeze a little more out of the golden goose. Property owners who pay their fair share are considered weak dummies.

It’s like really? I pay 48 mills and I’m happy with my situation. It’s a good deal and a critical investment in our human capital. We as a community and a nation need these special kids to succeed in the challenges that they will be facing in the middle of the 21st century.

And they are special, these kids who grow up along this border with nature which is known as the Wildland Urban Interface (WUI). The WUI is different from growing up in a big box apartment complex surrounded by electric lights and incessant noise. In the WUI, playing in the forest is synonymous with playing outside. Real bears and lions prowl through the forest outside their bedroom windows. Their sensitivity to rain and sunshine and silence will become integral to their personalities. They will be the ones who will one day step out of the forest and say, “We will lead. We know the way.” They will be the environmental warriors of tomorrow and it is our job to give them the training and the tools to help them in their quest to expand their skills and knowledge.

It is a poor long term financial strategy to balance a school budget by relying on perpetual government handouts with more strings attached to them than to Pinocchio. In a perfect world, residents should be willing to pay their fair share to educate these uniquely gifted children. We share the costs and receive the benefits. It’s an American thing to do.

Wes Isenhart

Black Hawk