La Plata County commissioners on Monday unanimously adopted the 2016 county budget of $104.7 million in expected expenditures, up almost 33 percent from the $78.8 million in 2015.
This figure includes about $25 million in anticipated capital and one-time expenditures, such as the possible $8 million purchase of the building at 10 Burnett Court to expand administrative office space, courthouse renovations, road and bridge infrastructure and an increased contingency fund of $8.7 million for unforeseen emergencies such as the Gold King Mine spill.
A sum of $700,000 was also written into the budget to cover costs associated with the spill. The amount will not necessarily be spent in full or at all, and not unless it is reimbursed by the Environmental Protection Agency, which takes blame for the Aug. 5 incident.
Commissioners viewed the increases as difficult but necessary long-term investments.
County Finance Director Diane Sorensen noted that revenues from the natural gas industry, an unstable funding source, are high in next year’s budget but will take a hit in 2017. She said the Gold King spill this summer threw financial curveballs that rendered the budgeting process more difficult than in past years.
“I found this to be a particularly challenging budget year,” Commissioner Gwen Lachelt said. “There were new requests for technology upgrades and staff positions, but my hope is these investments will lead to efficiencies and spending fewer resources in the future.”
In November, residents narrowly voted down a mill levy increase of up to 2.4 mills, which further challenged the budget, commissioners said. Lachelt added that the Gold King Mine spill also distracted commissioners from outreach and education efforts that might have helped sway the vote in the other direction.
The commission voted Monday to set the county property tax again at 8.5 mills, reflecting no increase from 2015. The mill levy has not gone up in about 25 years.
The commission will submit the adopted budget to the state before the end of the month.
In a separate county planning meeting on Monday, commissioners were updated on the progress of the comprehensive land-use plan, which staff has been reformatting and reorganizing by category for months.
Starting in January, staff members will explore land use with discussions on housing coming later this summer.
Planners Damian Peduto and Jim Tencza said they will increase solicitation for input on the land-use plan, particularly from the Southern Ute and Ute Mountain Ute tribes.
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