The announcement of the Fremont County 2008 Employee of the Year was the highlight on a brief agenda of business for the county commissioners at their December 23rd regular meeting.
Commission Chairman Larry Lasha announced that the Employee of the Year honor went to Suzie Veatch who has 18 years of service in the Fremont County Assessor's Office. As a Deputy Assessor, Mrs. Veatch is in charge of the personal property division in the Assessor's Office. The nomination letter commended her for her positive attitude in dealing with customers, finds pleasure in working the counter to help local residents, and "always has a kind word, a word of encouragement, or just a cheery good morning for you each and every day". In addition to a framed certificate she also receives a $300 award bonus for the honor.
The Commissioners also presented nomination certificates commending the work of the other county employees who were nominated. They include Chief Deputy Assessor Carol Weaver, Veterans Service Officer Betty Hanawalt, Human Services Income Maintenance Manager Bev Merlino, Pat Smith of the Assessor's Office, County Clerk's Motor Vehicle Director Cathy Galves, Sign Department Manager Sterling Rife of the Road and Bridge Department, and John Hamilton, the heavy equipment manager at the Road and Bridge Department's Central Shop.
The Employee of the Year is chosen annually by the elected officials of Fremont County.
The Commissioners Tuesday also certified the annual list of mill levies for all taxing entities in Fremont County which collect property taxes. For Fremont County government a levy of 12.438 mills will yield a total of $5,393,601 for the 2009 budget. The mill levy is calculated against a countywide assessed valuation of $433,619,000. Finance Director Dana Angel noted that the Assessor's Office lowered the final assessed valuation figure by $3 million from the preliminary number that was provided last August.
Other samples of mill levies and property taxes to be collected include:
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The City of Canon City collecting $355,460 in property taxes on a valuation of $132.48 million;
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The City of Florence collecting $425,041 on a valuation of $23.42 million;
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Canon City RE-1 Schools collecting $8,025,000 on a valuation of $220.88 million;
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Florence-Penrose RE-2 Schools collecting $4,553,985 on a valuation of $154.12 million;
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Cotopaxi RE-3 Schools collecting $1,265,864 on a valuation of $53.12 million;
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Canon City Fire District collecting $2,593,627 on a valuation of $199.51 million;
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Florence Fire District collecting $407,292 on a valuation of $85.01 million;
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Deer Mountain Fire District collecting $89,668 on a valuation of $22.46 million.
- Reappointed Tom Piltingsrud to the Fremont County Planning Commission representing the City of Florence;
- Adopted the official list of holidays the county will observe in 2009;
- Adopted resolutions appropriating and transferring monies from various funds to meet end of the year budgetary requirements for the 2008 county budget.