Mt. Crested Butte to launch campaign for its ballot issues

Now looking to ask two questions

In coming weeks, the town of Mt. Crested Butte will begin educating its residents about several proposed ballot issues the town hopes to pass this fall, including one asking for permission to take on $7 million in municipal bonds and an increase in property tax.

On August 19 the Town Council is scheduled to review a resolution approving two questions that will go on the ballot this November. Then, on September 4 the town is tentatively scheduled to hold a public meeting to present a Five Year Financial Plan approved in June, and take comments from voters on the plan and upcoming ballot issues.
“Some details of the plan are still being finalized and our implementation approach is being developed,” says council member Gary Keiser.
Keiser says the plan is an outline for the success of Mt. Crested Butte as a business, and as a community. The Five Year Plan not only looks for new sources of revenue, but also creates the financial means for the town to build several desired improvements, and catch up on road repairs.
Between 2006 and 2007 the town conducted a community-wide survey and crafted a comprehensive planning document, called the 2007 Community Plan. Keiser says the Community Plan envisions a high level of amenities and services for the town.
“The (financial) plan provides for financial stability for the town and the amenities needed and wanted (in the Community Plan)… Passing the ballot initiatives and implementing the Financial Plan is critical to our future,” Keiser says.
A large part of the plan’s success will rely on voters’ approval of the town withdrawing more than $7 million in municipal bonds. According to the plan, the bond monies will be used to fund an extension of the recreation path, create a footbridge for pedestrian safety near the entrance to town, build a new maintenance facility for the town, and complete more than $2 million in backlogged road repairs. The plan also sets aside $1 million for the initial operational costs for the proposed Mt. Crested Butte aquatic recreation center, a project that is being funded and implemented by the Downtown Development Authority.
The second half of the plan will rely on the approval of several tax-related issues. The town would like to increase the mil levy on property taxes by three mils. The town is also looking to voters to “de-Bruce” the town’s current mil levy, the revenue from which is restricted by the TABOR amendment (The Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights). Finally, the town would like to continue a 0.5 percent sales tax that is set to expire this year—keeping the total sales tax at 4.5 percent.
Earlier this summer, the town was considering a total of four possible ballot questions, but town manager Joe Fitzpatrick says the town has now settled on asking just two questions. “One question is going to be the bond issue itself… the other will be the increase in the property tax mil levy, the extension of the half a percent sales tax, and the de-Brucing of the current mil levy. We would like all three under the same question,” Fitzpatrick says.
Keiser is not sure what will happen if only one of the ballot issues passes. “We have not considered one of the two initiatives passing. It’s all or none,” he says.
Fitzpatrick says the town is currently formulating a document that will describe the positive aspects of the ballot issues, as well as potential negative impacts and what it will cost voters.
Keiser says, “We will present a balanced discussion explaining the impact of approval and of no approval.”
As part of its strategy in persuading voters to approve the plan, the town may use a comparison of tax rates in other communities. According to finance officer Karl Trujillo, voters will be considering a 5.2 increase in the mil levy between the de-Brucing and the proposed increase.
Mayor William Buck says, “Several other municipalities were looked at for comparison. In fact, (Telluride) Mountain Village has a current mil levy rate of 13, as compared to our five.”