NEDERLAND — The Town of Nederland currently hopes to close on their acquisition of Eldora Mountain Resort on April 30, 2026. The sale would make those previously privately-owned properties within the ski area publicly-owned, a change which has the potential of disrupting tax revenues that funnel to certain special districts, including the library and fire protection districts.

During the public comment portion of the Board of Trustees’ (BOT) last meeting, on January 20, 2026, representatives of the Nederland Community Library asked for information from Town staff regarding their funding allocation. They wanted to know specifically which properties the Town will potentially be acquiring from the sale of the resort, and if, and how, the Town expects to continue allocating these funds to their district. 

It was noted that the library had been waiting for this information since last fall. This information  is also required to be provided to the county tax assessor. Those library representatives who gave public comment during January’s meeting added that the county assessor also required an answer as to whether there will be private businesses operating on the ski mountain.

These issues all revolve around the fact that the sale of Eldora Mountain Resort to the Town of Nederland renders the land publicly-owned; such a conversion causes legal complications when it comes to the different kinds of tax revenue expected to be collected from the mountain.  

According to their mill levies—which were approved by the local electorate—a portion of the property taxes collected on Eldora’s facilities is allotted to the library district, as well as to the Nederland Fire Protection District (NFPD). The mill levies help the financially beleaguered Town with the funds needed to keep these institutions operating. 

“They bring in roughly between $110,000 and $120,000 a year,” NFPD Chief Charlie Schmidtmann told The Mountain-Ear. This is the amount the district collects into their General Fund from their mill. Schmidtmann added that the amount the fire district receives could be greater, considering that the ski area also owns other properties around Nederland, including the International Lodge.  

“At this time we don’t know which properties are going with the sale of the ski area and which are not.” 

Schmidtmann reiterated that the allocation of funds is very important to the district and, in relation to the NFPD’s coverage up at Eldora Mountain Resort, stated that he foresees a potential burden on his department if the Town pursues year-round recreation. 

“The challenge will be if they decide to do hiking or mountain biking,” Schmidtmann said. “Right now, since it’s mainly skiing and snowboarding, that comes with ski patrollers who come with medical certifications. But a lot of the mountain biking facilities, like Winter Park, have legitimate medical facilities attached, and so it’s easier for them to handle a medical emergency.”  

Schmidtmann also noted that Town Manager Jonathan Cain assured the NFPD back in December that their district would not lose that essential funding.   

“They don’t know how they’re going to do it, whether that’s an impact fee or a certain amount on ticket sales—I don’t think the Town is really at that stage with the sale, and I don’t think they have those answers yet—but they said that they would make sure that we were whole.” 

As for the library district, Cain addressed the concerns raised during the BOT’s January meeting by stating that the Town requires the original ballot language for the library district’s last mill levy in order to provide an accurate amount that they are meant to be allocated.

Library representatives estimate that, if the Town does not find an avenue through which they can continue to allocate funds to the special districts, the loss will be greater than its entire programming budget and could cause a reduction in staff hours, or even pay cuts.  

Though the Town of Nederland continues to operate under a non-disclosure agreement regarding the acquisition of Eldora Mountain Resort, on Monday, February 2, 2026, Cain provided The Mountain-Ear the following response on the special district mill levy funding concerns: 

“The proposed transaction includes the purchase of certain land and buildings currently owned by the private resort, along with the transfer of some private leases and operating rights. Only the land and buildings that are privately owned today are subject to local property taxes. Areas operated under U.S. Forest Service permits or private leases are addressed separately through the County’s assessment process.

“If the acquisition is completed, those privately owned properties would become publicly owned. Under Colorado law, property owned by a public entity is generally exempt from property taxes. Valuation, assessment, and distribution of property tax revenue are determined by the Boulder County Assessor’s Office and collected and apportioned by the Boulder County Treasurer’s Office.

“For timing context, Colorado property taxes are based on ownership as of January 1 of the tax year and are collected the following year. The Eldora properties were privately owned on January 1, 2025, and closing is currently scheduled for April 30, 2026. Given that timing, the 2025 property taxes payable in 2026 would generally reflect private ownership. Final revenue amounts distributed to any district depend on the County’s valuation and collection processes, and we are not in a position to provide district-specific estimates at this time.

“We recognize that library and fire protection services are vital to the community. We will continue coordinating with the County and with the affected districts and expect to have a clearer understanding of any impacts after the transaction is finalized and the County’s valuation work is complete. We will share additional information as it becomes available.”