Fremont County commissioners adopted a $69,295,721 budget December 16, with the General Fund claiming the largest share at $20,999,959.
Sheriff operations received $13,879,489. Human Services got $10,900,024.
The three commissioners voted unanimously on three resolutions completing the annual budget process. They set an 11.443 mill levy generating $8,255,495 in property tax revenue from an assessed valuation of $721,445,106.
Major Allocations
Road and Bridge received $6,789,155. Capital Expenditures got $6,382,105. Sales and Use Tax Fund totals $4,193,462.
Twelve other funds divide the remaining $6,650,491.
Shawn Sutton, Budget and Finance Officer, presented the final budget. Changes from the October draft included updated salaries, insurance, and benefit packages.
Commissioners added funding for bridge repairs after budget discussions began. They also increased the Capital fund for judicial building repairs “which came to light after our discussions,” Sutton said.
Property Tax Breakdown
The General Fund receives 8.422 mills of the total 11.443 mill levy. Human Services gets 2.701 mills. Department of Transportation receives .850 mills.
The Airport Fund gets .321 mills. Refunds & Abatements receives .028 mills. A temporary tax credit reduces the levy by .879 mills.
Property tax revenue funds General Fund operations at $5,441,860. Human Services receives $1,948,623. Road and Bridge gets $613,228. The Airport receives $231,584.
County Assessor Stacey Seifert certified the assessed valuation.
Three Required Resolutions
State law requires three separate resolutions to adopt the budget. Resolution 18 authorized expenditure totals for each fund. Resolution 19 levied the property taxes. Resolution 20 appropriated revenues and fund balances to cover expenses.
“The first resolution is basically authorizing the budget, creating basically the cap on what we can spend on those line items,” Chairman Kevin Grantham explained. “The second one is authorizing to be able to collect the revenue that comes in. And this one is the authority to spend those dollars that we receive in order to pay for those expenses.”
State law mandates a specific timeframe for budget adoption. The first December meeting comes too early. The second December meeting arrives too late.
Fremont County schedules a special meeting every year to meet the deadline.
Certification Process
The county must certify mill levies for 37 taxing entities. These include municipalities, school districts, fire districts, and sanitation districts.
The assessor’s office and finance department collected all certifications by December 15. Sutton credited Stacey Seifert, Sherris Hall, and Dana Campbell for the work. “Without them, I’d really be up a creek,” he said.
County Administrator Tony Carochi will review and certify the document. The county must submit it to the state by December 22.
Grantham thanked Seifert for helping small districts navigate state requirements. “The state legislature in the past couple of years through regular legislation and special session has made this a monstrously complicated thing,” he said.
Small districts “really lean heavy upon our county assessor and the help she gives making sure that they get the right numbers so that they don’t get in trouble with their taxpayers.”
Public Process
The county posted the draft budget online before a November 10 public hearing. Residents could speak at that hearing.
The December 16 meeting was action-only. Three citizens signed up to speak but Grantham explained the public hearing had closed. He invited anyone with concerns to schedule time with commissioners.
The budget process began in August with requests from elected officials and department heads. Sutton presented the draft to commissioners in October.
Commissioners Debbie Bell and Dwayne McFall joined Grantham in the unanimous votes. County Attorney Eric Bellas and County Administrator Tony Carochi attended the special meeting at 615 Macon Avenue in Cañon City.
The meeting adjourned at approximately 9:30 a.m.
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