April Nielsen, a long time Gilpin resident, has announced her candidacy to be the next Assessor for Gilpin County.

“Gilpin County residents deserve transparency and open, honest communication from their elected officials, and my goal is to increase the level of both from the Assessor’s office,” Nielsen noted during a recent interview. “There is too much confusion regarding property assessment rates and how those are tied to the value of our property, and one of my main goals is to elevate communications to our property owners about just how those two things are tied together.”

Nielsen’s focus and involvement with our community is not new. She has been an active member of the PTA since 2008, both as a volunteer and a board member. “Education is paramount if we are going to guide our children forward to create a solid, stable environment for future generations. Volunteering to further promote this goal is a solid contribution of my time,” she noted.

Nielsen has been part of the Gilpin County Community Development team for over a year, and in that time not only has she successfully obtained certification demonstrating her quickly- learned expertise with regulations, building codes and land use, she has also developed strong, caring relationships with many residents. “Helping our residents navigate their challenges with unfamiliar, and sometimes daunting, regulations regarding their property has been very rewarding. My goal has always been, and will continue to be, helping our community understand and work through regulations for successful outcomes,” Nielsen proudly shared.

Nielsen is no stranger to regulations. She is an enrolled agent with the Federal Department of the Treasury, and spent several years navigating the complexities of the IRS code. She has helped many people successfully navigate the regulations regarding taxes at the federal level. “I quickly completed the necessary training to become an enrolled agent, and I am very familiar with regulations surrounding taxes,” she noted. Nielsen worked with both individuals and business owners negotiating tax assessments, and often those negotiations resulted in a reduction of their tax burden. Nielsen is keenly in tune with the deliverables, reporting, accountability and deadlines.

Nielsen’s vision is not complicated. “Three things are vitally important to our residents. We need to focus on the three C’s – Community, Communication and, above all, Customer Service. The current staff in the Assessor’s office does a stellar job with customer service. They continually go the extra mile, and I will continue to support and encourage that. Coupled with a deeper focus on the needs of our community and increased communication, we will work towards continued excellence from the Assessor’s office that our property owners deserve.”

Nielsen, in her current role, works with the assessor’s staff daily. And it was the unwavering support from them that helped solidify her decision to run. “The encouragement, support and trust from the team is overwhelming,” she said with a smile. “I know I will have a learning curve, but with support like that I am certain it will be a quick and successful transition!”

Nielsen will be at the Candidate Forum on September 24, 2022, at the Gilpin Rec Center, and is always available via email at Aprilforgilpin@gmail.com. Nielsen welcomes your input!