The Fremont County Commissioners have approved a resolution stating unanimous opposition to proposed Amendments 60 & 61 and Proposition 101 on the Colorado November ballot. The Commissioners join with the Cañon City Council, the Florence City Council, and a number of other local government and special district boards to approve resolutions in opposition to the ballot measures.
The Board of Commissioners wanted to make sure that the resolution they considered offered specifics as to how county revenues would be affected in the three issues were approved and what county services would be at risk. The resolution approved by the Board of Commissioners reads as follows:
RESOLUTION OF THE FREMONT COUNTY BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS STATING OPPOSITION TO THREE STATE-WIDE BALLOT ISSUES ENTITLED AMENDMENT 60, AMENDMENT 61 AND PROPOSITION 101
WHEREAS, during this current economic downturn Fremont County has already dramatically cut budgets and services including but not limited to days and hours of operation for the Fremont County Administration Building, Penrose office of the Clerk and Recorder, elimination of county employment positions; and
WHEREAS, state voters will be presented with the opportunity at the November 2 statewide general election to protect the fiscal health of local government by defeating Proposition 101, Amendment 60 and Amendment 61; and
WHEREAS, one of the components of Amendment 60 would overturn election decisions made by Fremont County and other voters over the past eighteen years regarding revenue and spending by Fremont County government, creating financial chaos and uncertainty for local communities; and
WHEREAS, these three ballot measures, individually and collectively, significantly reduce or otherwise restrict both state and local revenues in a number of different ways including but not limited to: property taxes, specific ownership taxes, telecommunication taxes, state income taxes, state shared revenues to assist counties with local road and transit improvements, and other state grants and loans to help local governments; and
WHEREAS, Proposition 101 reduces the vehicle registration fee (annual license plate fee) to a level which would destroy Colorado’s ability to maintain safe roads and bridges, by lowering the fee to the assessment rate from the year 1919; and
WHEREAS, if Proposition 101 and Amendment 60 are approved by the voters, Fremont County will suffer a permanent annual budget reduction of approximately $2,736,414 after the completion of the four-year phase-in period; and
WHEREAS, if Amendment 61 is approved by the voters, Fremont County would suffer an estimated annual budget reduction of $1,180,000 after the four-year phase-in period; and
WHEREAS, the total annual reduction of $3,916,414 (after the four-year phase-in period) is approximately 53% of the property, sales, use and other tax revenues that are budgeted for the General Fund for Fremont County for the year 2010; and
WHEREAS, the ability of local governments and school districts to finance long-term capital improvements like public facilities, energy conservation improvements, airport improvement projects, road and bridge projects, fire stations, and public school improvements, will be dramatically impaired by the restrictions on debt financing as proposed by Amendment 61; and
WHEREAS, services and programs in Fremont County will be limited or curtailed because of the numerous restrictions and revenue reductions proposed by these three measures including the training and certification of Sheriff’s deputies and emergency medical technicians; response times to public calls for service from Sheriff’s deputies; wildfire team staffing, training and equipment; public health department home health care services; community assistance grants which service and benefit children and families and non-profit organizations; the annual schedule of asphalt and chip seal county road improvements; replacement of road and bridge equipment; enforcement of zoning and building codes; and customer service/waiting times in county offices; and
WHEREAS, the reduction of revenues to the State of Colorado will result in possible cuts to staffing levels in Colorado Correctional facilities in Fremont County, dealing an economic blow to communities and families in the county and raising concerns for the safety of correctional officers in the line of duty; and
WHEREAS, a number of prominent individuals, newspapers and organizations including Colorado Counties, Inc. are voicing opposition to these measures as not being in the best interests of Colorado and of local communities; and
WHEREAS, the Board of County Commissioners consider the potential impacts of the proposed ballot issues to be a matter of official County and State-wide concern; and
WHEREAS, provisions of state law allow Fremont County to put forth this resolution as a statement of opposition to the measures known as Proposition 101, Amendment 60 and Amendment 61.
NOW, THEREFORE, the Board of County Commissioners of Fremont County hereby resolves that it is firmly opposed to Amendment 60, Amendment 61, and Proposition 101 and urges our citizens to vote against all three ballot measures.