7
The News-Press 7
December 18, 2014
Douglas County finalizes 2015 budget Increase in revenues expected for county due to new construction By Mike DiFerdinando
mdiferdinando @coloradocommunitymedia.com A transfer of $49 million in unspent funds for roads from 2014 and the formation of a new wildfire mitigation team highlighted additions to the 2015 Douglas County budget, which was approved by the county commissioners Dec. 9. “The reason why we carry over or reappropriate these monies in the budget versus doing a supplemental budget is to give engineers access to these funds Jan. 1,” Douglas County Budget Manager Martha Marshall said. “If we use the supplemental budget process, then we would have to wait until March and it could hinder moving forward on some of the long-term projects.” There are no new taxes or fees for 2015, and the county expects to see an increase in revenue of 2.7 percent or $6.7 million from 2014. Total revenues come in at $250 million. The $331.2 million budget includes $167.3 million in operating costs. The new wildfire mitigation team will cost the county $415,500 to pay for a public awareness and education campaign as well as equipment such as a truck, chipper, personal protection equipment and salaries and benefits for four crew members, who will be part-timers used on an as-needed basis. The largest expenditures are expected to be: capital improvement and infrastructure, $64.9 million; public safety, $55.2 million; public works engineering and operations, $35.7 million; and health and human
services, $32.5 million. According to the Douglas County Assessor’s Office, property taxes on a $300,000 home are currently about $2,350 per year. The majority of revenue comes from property taxes (44 percent) and sales taxes (22 percent). The difference in revenues ($250 million in projected revenue and $49 million in unspent money from 2014, totaling $299 million), and expenditures ($331 million), about $32 million, will be offset by the use of county fund balances. Among projects earmarked for funding in 2015 are: • A $6.2 million public safety driving facility, land acquisition and construction off Moore Road, which is located west of Santa Fe Drive in the area of Louviers. The driving facility will primarily be used for police training, but will also be available for county public works training, Fire and other area law enforcement agencies and possibly by the school district for bus driver training. • The last two courtrooms, at $1.5 million, in the Justice Center in Castle Rock. • The $2.5 million US 85/C-470 Interchange reconstruction. County officials expect the county’s new business personal property tax exemption program, created to attract new businesses and retain existing ones, to produce a significant amount of revenue. The county collects approximately $9 million in business personal property tax each year. Under the new tax exemption, the first $100,000 of actual value will be exempted for a business in Douglas County. According to officials, the business personal property tax exemption is part of the county’s plan to attract new business to the region and foster a climate of economic growth.
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