Gilpin County presents $34.4 million draft budget, refers lodging-tax increase to voters

Gilpin County staff on Sept. 23 presented a draft 2026 budget to the Board of County Commissioners that projects $34,427,092 in total revenue and $39,373,238 in expenditures and asks voters in November whether to raise the county lodging tax from 2% to 6% to fund infrastructure maintenance, housing and tourism-related workforce needs.

County manager Rares and finance staff described the draft during the formal handoff to the board. “The total anticipated revenue for 2026 is $34,427,092,” finance staff said during the presentation. The packet shows gaming revenue and intergovernmental funding as the largest revenue sources and a conservative approach to projections because of macroeconomic uncertainty.

The county said gaming receipts remain the single largest revenue source but are declining: staff reported $16,201,381 this year and projected gaming-related revenue of roughly $15.1 million for 2026. Property-tax revenue was projected at about $5.6 million. The draft lists intergovernmental revenue of roughly $7.8 million and charges for services of about $3.0 million; interest and other revenue make up the remainder.

Why it matters: the draft sets the county’s spending priorities and reserve targets and frames work the board must complete before final adoption. The presentation shows the sheriff’s office as the single largest department expense at an estimated $11,453,273, or about 29% of total expenditures. Public works (including solid waste) is the county’s second-largest departmental cost at about $5.16 million. Capital projects proposed for 2026 total roughly $3.84 million, including completion of the annex plumbing, community center and justice center circulation upgrades, pool mechanical work, and improvements at Rudolph Ranch.

Staff emphasized the county remains debt-free and is maintaining reserves: an emergency fund of $4 million, $2 million earmarked for potential water-rights acquisition, and a three-month operating reserve. The estimated ending fund balance under the draft is $23,430,658. Manager Rares said staff prepared the draft conservatively and will provide department-level detail and follow-up documents through OpenGov, the county’s public budget platform.

On the lodging tax, staff said the board has referred a ballot measure to increase the tax by four percentage points (from 2% to 6%). If voters approve the increase, the additional revenue would be dedicated to public infrastructure maintenance and improvements, housing and child care for tourism-related workers and other local workers, and to support equipment and staffing needs in public works. The proposed budget includes one new FTE—an equipment maintenance technician—identified as a lodging-tax-supported hire if voters approve the ballot question. Staff emphasized that the lodging-tax hires and programmatic uses are contingent on voter approval.

Staff outlined the schedule and next steps: department-head meetings and a rapid-review session on Oct. 7, additional work sessions in October and November, and final budget and mill-levy adoption targeted for Dec. 15. The draft, the presenters said, will be available to the public on OpenGov and in printed form for the commissioners.

Board members asked clarifying questions during the presentation about the revenue mix, the effect of tariffs and inflation on capital and operating costs, and how grant revenues and the county’s gaming impact fund are included. Staff said the draft factors broad cost increases into projections but does not isolate a line-item for tariffs; they said staff can quantify tariff exposure going forward.

Less critical details: staff said the largest single anticipated grant is the county’s gaming-impact allocation (listed in the presentation at $655,000). Staff also noted that vehicle and equipment replacements were reduced from prior years and gave a breakdown of planned capital equipment purchases and their approximate costs.