Dear Editor,

 The State of Colorado requires County Assessors to provide fair and equitable valuations for taxing purposes.  

Equitable for whom? Essentially us, the taxpayers/citizens. We hear of exciting grants from the State. Who is paying for those grants? Taxpayers. Where is the State getting money for those grants? Federal. Who is paying? Taxpayers.  It all comes full circle, or it should anyway. We tend to focus nationally since that information is so readily available to us this day and age.  But, truthfully, so much of this begins locally.  

As a taxpayer/citizen, I am more than willing to pay for good and safe roads, great schools, superb public safety, a lending hand for those of us in need and a Public Health Dept. (even if it is a co-op with Jefferson County) and appropriate staffing to make sure our workers are taken care of.   

As a taxpayer/citizen, I do not wish to pay for a convoluted government full of high-priced delegators, analysts, and an extremely well-paid Human Resources with a reduced county staff, especially in our small mountain community. To put it in perspective, as of July 1, 2019, the US Census Bureau shows a total of 6,243 residents within Gilpin County.  We are second to Broomfield from the smallest county in the State of Colorado.  As of July 1, 2019, Broomfield has 70,465 residents.  Yes, I would like to bring Gilpin County up-to-date technology wise.  Yes, I understand things are more difficult due to Covid.  No, I do not believe our county management has been in check by our elected officials in prior years.  I think it definitely should be now.  

When we are able to take time out of our busy lives (working, taking care of our families and surviving) to focus on government, we really need to widen our lens and focus locally also. Perhaps our elected officials need a little help seeing what we see.  Maybe they could use a little help asking questions they didn’t think of asking.  How is that new expensive technology working out?  Things like that.  

In the past, BOCC work sessions were closed-door and many decisions were made without public input.  It really is refreshing to see this transparency now.  We need to continue having the discussion on keeping our local government transparent and accessible (having work sessions at different times than the actual meeting so taxpayers have time to receive information and time to put in their input before BOCC meetings, etc.) and we need to be included in keeping our local government equitable, for us. 

Respectfully submitted,

Kris Krejci
Central City