A variety of topics were discussed at the town hall forum Oct. 6, sponsored by El Paso County Commissioner Douglas Bruce. The Falcon Fire Protection District hosted the meeting, and El Paso County Administrator Jeff Greene was the guest speaker.Bruce’s first order of business concerned the county’s policy requiring that residents who participate in the citizens’ academy course provide their Social Security numbers to the clerk and recorder’s office.”Civic-minded citizens are criminals until proven they aren’t,” Bruce said. “Federal law says you cannot require a Social Security number for identification purposes.”Bruce also addressed roads and county spending.Bruce said he attended a meeting with Colorado Department of Transportation representatives about the state’s plan to widen Highway 24, from Garrett Road to Judge Orr Road. “They said it won’t happen until 2020,” he said, adding that there is no timetable for more improvements east of Judge Orr Road.The Pikes Peak Area Council of Governments is celebrating its 40th anniversary this year, and Bruce cited its budget increase. The PPACG is a voluntary association of 15 municipal and county governments in the area. “Their original budget was $60,000, and now it’s 70 times greater, at $4.2 million,” Bruce said.Jeff Greene presented on the county’s financial challenges.He first explained the background for county government.Greene said counties operate based on an 1868 Iowa Supreme Court decision that allowed state legislatures to grant specific authorities to each county. For example, in Colorado, counties cannot provide utility services; thus, the reason for metropolitan districts, Greene said.Regardless, he said counties are “doing more with less.””The county has 595,000 citizens and 155,000 of them are in unincorporated areas,” Greene said. “By 2008, 200,000 citizens are projected to be living in the unincorporated area.”Legally, El Paso County cannot run a deficit, he said, adding that the growth in sales tax collection is a lower-than-expected .5 percent.”We are looking at a shortfall,” Greene said. In 2008, he said the county will prepare the 2009 budget. “We will have to make some tough decisions that keep me awake at night,” he said. Greene said the county will form a citizens committee for input on the budget.Bruce said the county is missing $2 to $4 million in sales tax revenue. “The PPRTA (Pikes Peak Regional Transportation Authority) has collected millions more than the county, even though they get the same 1 percent on sales in the county,” Bruce said. “Last year, an auditor found $800,000 in mistakes disfavoring the county.”One audience member asked about the penalties for those mistakes. Greene said the penalty depends on the nature of the mistake, but, he said, “The buck stops with me.”Another audience member questioned the shortfall in the wake of growth and development. “It’s a vicious cycle,” Greene said. Property values have increased, but TABOR’s revenue cap requires the county to reduce its mill levy, he said. “Under TABOR, county government can grow, but in a limited way. The county receives some benefit due to growth, but not as much as it did before TABOR,” Greene said.The county has already cut its services, he said. The health department has cut its budget by $1.2 million.Greene said he is researching collaborations between cities and counties. He said some cities and counties have formed a single district to provide some services, such as parks and recreation.Bruce also mentioned county salaries.He said the state requires that county salaries be published. “It (salaries) used to be on the county’s Web site, but they took it down and published it in a Fountain newspaper so no one would see it,” Bruce said. “The fix is in for spending.”The reason voters are apathetic, Bruce added.”We have open public budget hearings, but if citizens don’t show up and ask questions, how can we know what your concerns are,” Greene said.However, during the forum Bruce also discussed his concern regarding constraints the county has placed on commissioners delving into issues like finances. In 2003, the county board of commissioners passed a resolution, initiated by county commissioner Tom Huffman, limiting the commissioners requests for information to those that cost $100 or less to fulfill, Bruce said.When Bruce attempted to find out how much the county pays for take-home vehicles and the reimbursement expenses for personal car use, he was told the research would take 85 hours, which would cost more than the $100 limit.”Despite this talk about open government, it isn’t very open,” Bruce said.
