News
Elbert 11.7.13
Elbert County
November 7, 2013
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A Colorado Community Media Publication
ourelbertcountynews.com
Elbert County, Colorado • Volume 118, Issue 41
$102K in county tax revenues frozen Order comes in response to overdue 2012 audit By George Lurie
glurie@ourcoloradonews.com Until an overdue 2012 year-end audit is submitted to the state, Elbert County’s treasurer has been ordered by the state auditor’s office to freeze more than $100,000 in tax revenues.
The county did not publicize the information concerning the order from the state, which came to light because of an open records request submitted by county resident Susan Shick. In an Oct. 21 letter addressed to County Treasurer Rick Pettitt, a representative of the Local Government Audit Division at the Office of the State Auditor states: “This letter is to notify you that Elbert County has not filed an annual audit report with the State Auditor as required by Section 29-1-
606 CRS for the year ended December 31, 2012.” Because of the missed deadline, the letter directs Pettitt to “hold all funds generated pursuant to the taxing authority … until you are notified in writing by this office.” In a written response, also dated Oct. 21, the treasurer stated: “I have been notified of the delinquent audit status … and will hold all funds generated pursuant to the taxing authority … until further notification from the Office of the State Auditor.”
In the same letter, Pettitt reported “as of this date” his office was withholding a total of $102,486.42. BOCC chair Robert Rowland characterized the situation as “embarrassing.” “But we’ll get it fixed,” Rowland added. “Our objective has been and continues to be to get this county back on a sound fiscal footing. We need to get our act together and quit doing this.” Audit continues on Page 15
Schlegel mulling his future Blunt commissioner may or may not seek re-election By George Lurie
glurie@ourcoloradonews.com
A painter does trim work on the Homes for Our Troops project in Wildpoint Ranches west of Elizabeth. Photos by George Lurie
Homes for Our Troops going strong Disabled vets get houses through group’s efforts By George Lurie
glurie@ourcoloradonews.com Homes for Our Troops, a Massachusettsbased nonprofit organization, continues to be very active in Elbert County, building — and then donating — homes to disabled military veterans and their families. The group is currently finishing up construction work on its fifth home in the Wildpoint Ranches subdivision just west of Elizabeth. That home, when completed later this year, will be given to retired Sgt. Matt Parker and his wife and daughter. Parker, a U.S. Army veteran from Colorado, was severely injured while serving overseas. Homes for Our Troops has also built and donated several homes in Elkhorn Ranch in the northwest corner of the county. The new homes, valued in the $300,000 to $400,000 price range, are built using donations of money and materials from the private sector as well as workers from area POSTAL ADDRESS
Work is progressing rapidly on the Homes for Our Troops house in the Wildpoint Ranches subdivison west of Elizabeth. The home will be donated to disabled military veteran Matt Parker and his family. construction companies and local volunteers. Homes for Our Troops was founded in 2004. According to its website, the organization is “strongly committed to helping those
who have selflessly given to our country and have returned home with serious injuries since September 11, 2001.” The group assists severely disabled veterans and their families by coordinating the process of building a home that provides maximum freedom of movement and the ability for the disabled veteran to live more independently. Volunteer coordinators are in charge of each build. Printed on recycled Homes provided by Homes for Our newsprint. Please recycle this copy. Troops are given at no cost to the veterans. An eligible veteran or service member may receive a Veterans Administration Specially Adapted Housing Grant of up to $64,960. Homes continues on Page 15
In an interview Oct. 30 with the Elbert County News, District 2 County Commissioner Kurt Schlegel said he has yet to decide whether to seek re-election in 2014. “I’m sitting on the fence right now,” Schlegel said. “I’ll probably make the decision sometime after the first of the year.” During his nearly three years in office, Schlegel Schlegel has not shied away from controversy. The blunt-spoken retired Marine has been the target of lawsuits and a shortlived recall effort in 2012. Interviewed recently in his office, Schlegel said he continues to spend more time than he would like “reacting” to accusations and criticism from constituents. “Going into this, I knew what I was taking on and that it was going to be a difficult job,” Schlegel said. “But I’ve never shied away from challenges.” Schlegel, who worked as a firefighter for much of his career — and was one of the earliest and most vocal proponents of the Tea Party in Elbert County — lives in Elkhorn Ranch, in the northwest corner of the county. In addition to the $49,600-a-year salary he’s paid as a commissioner, he also owns and operates his own public-safety consulting firm and travels frequently around the country advising public officials and private companies. “These last few years while I’ve worked for the county, I’ve taken a little hit in my bank account,” he said. “I’ve only got so many good working years ahead of me,” said Schlegel, 56. Acknowledging that the current BOCC faces a variety of challenges in terms of replacing outdated infrastructure and stabilizing the county’s financial condition, Schlegel refused to blame previous administrations for the county’s current woes. “I didn’t inherit any of the county issues,” he said. “I chose to take them on.” Schlegel said that for the county to pull itself out of its current financial hole, “we’ve got to put all of that old history behind us and start pulling together.” Explaining that the BOCC had been “exploring during recent strategy sessions” a number of ways to stabilize the county’s finances, Schlegel also said he did not think it was the county’s role to “act as a profit center.”