The Crested Butte News Serving the Gunnison Valley since 1999
by Alissa Johnson
New council member
Nicholas Kempin was sworn into office on Tuesday, December 1. He fills a seat vacated by John Sale, and his appointment runs through April 2016.
Town mill levy approved
The Town Council approved the mill levy for 2016, which remains at 10.378 mills. Five mills generate income for the general fund and 5.378 mills generate funds for the capital project funds.
According to town finance director Karl Trujillo, total property valuations for Mt. Crested Butte went to $98 million, up from $77 million. As a result, the mill levy will net about 14 percent more property taxes than last year. The general fund is projected to bring in $403,000 and the capital fund will bring in $432,000 in property tax revenue.
Mill levy comes down in Reserve Metro District 2
Reserve Metro District 2, a financing district in Prospect, did not seek the town’s approval to exceed its mill levy cap. In the past, the district has exceeded its mill levy cap of 50 mills without the consent of the town of Mt. Crested Butte, over time reaching as high as 115 mills. But in November, a Colorado Court of Appeals ruled that exceeding the mill levy in that manner had in fact been illegal.
The district submitted a mill levy of 55.9 mills to the county, or $676,496 in revenue, which is in accordance with the Tabor Amendment, according to town manager Joe Fitzpatrick.
