DOLA briefs Lake County commissioners on state funding, governance and budget deadlines

Officials from the Colorado Department of Local Affairs (DOLA) presented an overview of state funding programs, governance best practices and the county budget schedule during a Lake County Board of County Commissioners work session.

The presentation highlighted several funding streams available to counties — notably the Energy Impact Assistance Fund, which DOLA described as derived from extraction revenues and weighted toward jurisdictions with high “impact” scores. “Our bread and butter is the Energy Impact Assistance Fund… Lake County has a great impact score. I think it's at a 9 this year out of 10,” DOLA staff member Candace Bryant said. Bryant also said DOLA’s budget work “is starting now” and warned commissioners that “the draft is due to you by October 15, and that's a ton of work.”

Why it matters: DOLA told commissioners the agency can help counties secure state and federal grants, provide technical assistance on budgeting and strategic planning, and connect local officials with training resources including tax-increment financing (TIF) instruction from partners such as Downtown Colorado, Inc. The briefing framed those supports as especially important for small counties facing staff shortages and aging infrastructure.

Most important facts

- Funding programs: DOLA said it manages multiple funding streams for local governments. The Energy Impact Assistance Fund uses extraction revenue and is distributed with a weighting toward communities with larger extraction impacts; DOLA staff estimated Lake County’s impact score at 9 out of 10. DOLA also described a smaller Rural Economic Development Initiative (for job-focused projects) and Community Development Block Grants (CDBG) for public facilities and housing work. DOLA staff said roughly 20% of the agency’s grant portfolio is federal funding.

- Local technical assistance: DOLA staff offered targeted trainings — budget workshops, ethics training, strategic planning retreats and other technical assistance — and pointed commissioners to statewide partners for specialized topics such as TIF.

- Budget timeline and process: DOLA staff urged early, sustained engagement on the county budget. Bryant told the commissioners the budget draft is due to them by Oct. 15 and that the county should aim to finalize the budget by Dec. 15. She recommended multiple work sessions and clear communication between commissioners and staff so the board can focus on policy while staff handles administrative details.

- Governance and roles: Presenters reviewed the difference between policy-making and administration. DOLA emphasized the county manager’s role in providing “complete and objective information” to the board and noted that managers carry out the board’s policies. “She is bound by whatever decision that you guys make,” a presenter said when describing the manager’s obligation to implement board actions. The briefing urged commissioners to adopt a clear agenda and packet policy and to use strategic planning (“north stars”) to prioritize limited staff and budget capacity.

- Legal and ethical limits: The presenters warned about legal pitfalls that can arise in small communities, including ex parte communications in quasi-judicial matters, violating open-meetings requirements and actions that could jeopardize governmental immunity. DOLA referenced the Colorado Governmental Immunity Act and recommended the CIRSA (intergovernmental risk-sharing agency) elected-officials liability handbook as a resource for avoiding personal liability.

Supporting details and local context

Commissioners asked about DOLA’s capacity to fill gaps when county staff are stretched. DOLA said the agency offers technical assistance and training but is not structured to operate as a long-term substitute for county staff, and encouraged counties to monitor burnout and prioritize hiring. DOLA staff said their office handles a broad set of programs for the state, adding that some funding pots are one-time legislative allocations that the agency administers when requested.

Presenters cautioned against commissioners giving direction to staff outside of public meetings and recommended that boards provide direction only when the full board is convened. They also urged civil, formal meeting tone as a practical means to maintain order and public trust.

Next steps

DOLA invited the county to request specific trainings and longer technical-assistance sessions. Commissioners and staff said they would follow up on a possible strategic planning retreat and on scheduling budget work sessions ahead of the Oct. 15 draft deadline.

Ending

DOLA staff left resource materials and offered to coordinate follow-up trainings with the department’s local government services team and statewide partners for topics such as TIF, budget building and governance training.