Gilpin County residents gathered for a Town Hall on Monday, August 21, 2023 at the Gilpin County Community Center. The purpose of the discussion: to foster communication between citizens and County officials on the topic of creating a permanent mill levy for the Parks and Recreation Department to fund the Gilpin County Community Center (GCCC).

A mill levy is a property tax with the rate of the tax expressed in mills. It is currently 2.57, or about $17.86 per $100,000 of assessed home value. Mill levies are often used to support various community necessities and developments. Because the dollar amount of taxes charged by the levy must stay constant, the millage rate increases or decreases as property values change.

The public gathered in the multipurpose room where the moderator, Carolyn Collins Petersen, introduced the County officials: Parks and Recreation Director Gabrielle Chisholm, Finance Director Joe Allaire, County Manager Ray Rears, County Attorney Brad Benning, and Commissioners Susan Berumen, Marie Mornis, and Sandy Hollingsworth.

The Friends of Gilpin Community Center is an independent volunteer group and offered the event as a voter education opportunity. They have an FAQ page on their website at FAQ – Friends of Gilpin County Community Center (gilpincommunitycenter.org). Mornis thanked Friends of GCCC for the invitation to speak on the matter.

Petersen said she recognized that there are differing opinions on the mill levy measure in Gilpin County and that things can get “spicy,” so she asked everyone to keep their questions focused on the mill levy and “non-spicy.”

After a short presentation on the mill levy proposal, the public was invited to ask questions, with turns alternating between the live audience and the online platform listeners.

In November 2020, the residents of Gilpin County passed a 2.570 mill levy to reopen the Parks & Recreation Department with limited services and days. This tax will expire at the end of 2023. The County is seeking a stable funding source to replace it.

The Town Hall offered a chance for residents to hear from officials before the following day’s vote on the issue at the Commissioners’ regular meeting. If approved, voters will receive a ballot with the proposed mill levy question and a blue book in October to decide on the issues to be decided at the November election.

Chisholm presented information on the GCCC, its activities, budget, and services.

The GCCC offers a multitude of fitness programs and other resources like childcare and senior services in the main building.

There is also the Barn, which contains an indoor arena, plus offices for the Colorado State University’s Gilpin County Extension program. The Extension provides classes and programs that offer information on forestry, wildfire, wildlife, mountain gardening, noxious weeds, and many other issues relevant to the region.

The facilities also host the Gilpin County Fair, which takes place each summer. The Fair uses the outdoor space within the campus as the fairgrounds, and the exhibit barn and outdoor arena are used for events such as 4H shows and rodeos. The Fair, which offers free parking, entry, and rides, is a major attraction within the county and one of the largest events to take place within the community campus.

Chisholm has worked on many grants for the center to keep GCCC costs low while it is currently open five days a week. She says the proposed mill levy would cost about $7.44 per month per $500k home or $17.86 per year per $100,000 of home value.

Berumen said that she supports the mill levy so that there is a consistent revenue stream for the GCCC that provides jobs and income to the community.

Hollingsworth also said she supports the mill levy because it provides community benefit, staff stability, and it is a strong budget decision. Hollingsworth has a background in budgeting and civic government.

“There is a lot of value in maintaining steady funding in GCCC since it is also the only Red Cross approved emergency shelter for humans and animals in the area,” said Hollingsworth.

The mill levy brings in about $1.1 million; the total cost to maintain the GCCC is $1.8 million.

Hollingsworth made it known that the County’s budget is balanced and the County is debt-free.

She said that this mill levy would really free up money for capital improvement and staff retention. She emphasized that the County had heretofore lacked a capital improvement plan and hence, much of the maintenance for the Community Center had been neglected.

Mornis mentioned the late Commissioner Web Sill and said she was elected to replace him because they are of like mind. She expressed discontent with the tax proposal. She does not disagree with the importance of GCCC but believes the county residents should not have to be taxed to fund it. She said that gaming revenue has doubled and that the County budget should allow for the funding.

The County officials then discussed the plans or possibilities if the ballot measure is not approved by voters. One possibility would be to close the pool, another would be cuts in expenditures and/or capital improvements.

Mornis suggested creative ways to pay, like with a bond. Berumen responded that borrowing money is too expensive right now. Allaire does not suggest a bond either. Hollingsworth said she would not want to see the County in debt.

The Q&A portion of the Town Hall was opened and residents questioned what kind of cuts in expenditures would be made. Chisholm responded they may have to decrease to four days a week instead of five, and/or close the pool, and/or cut the County Fair.

When asked about using gaming revenue as a source of funding, Allaire responded that gaming taxes can be volatile and should not be used for longterm budget decisions.

Chisholm said being able to have a property tax on the gaming industry’s commercial funds is more sustainable than relying on gaming revenue.

One resident said they felt misled when they passed the mill levy during the Covid-19 crisis because it was only meant to be temporary. She felt that the County did fund the Center for 17 years prior to Covid and that the local government has a responsibility to residents.

Other citizens asked the County to wait longer on gaming revenue and property taxes to come in or make the mill levy temporary instead of permanent.

Officials responded that there is a deadline to submit the ballot language and that they are looking for a more sustainable funding source.

Another person commented that the actual cost of the mill levy tax per year is minimal, only about $70 on average per household.

There was some disagreement on whether Gilpin County property owners are being overtaxed: one side said they are not, compared to other places in the country, while another said their property taxes have doubled and they are against adding more taxes.

Another concern was raised that since past boards were not prioritizing the repairs and maintenance for the GCCC, how would residents know they would be remedied in the future?

Hollingsworth replied that this Board is prioritizing making capital improvements through its new plan.

She continued, if the mill levy does not pass, and the Board has to pull from the budget for repairs, how likely will the current or future boards vote to fund GCCC over statutory entities that require funding by law, such as road maintenance and Sheriff’s Office activities? She said she wants to see some dedicated funding for the longevity of the GCCC.

Benning said the language is votercentric and that $1.3 million in revenue is projected for 2024.

He said the mill levy is a sustainable source of funding for GCCC because it is not subject to TABOR limits through “debrucing.” This means the County can keep any excess money after reaching their revenue limit. There is an inflationary adjustment as well.

Lastly, the Board addressed the question of whether renewable energy sources may play a role in future decisions. The commissioners said they are looking to make small steps in that direction by possibly getting hybrids for county vehicles.

At about 8:10 p.m. Petersen called for the ending of the Q&A session and adjourned the Town Hall.

The proposed mill levy language was presented and approved for the ballot at the next August 22, 2023, Commissioners meeting.