Clear Creek County outlines $7 million structural shortfall and weighs taxes to sustain fire, EMS and services

At a Clear Creek County town hall, county commissioners and staff told residents the county faces a long-term structural shortfall of roughly $7 million and a near-term budget deficit of about $1.3 million, and outlined options that could include new taxes, fee changes and service adjustments.

Commissioner Rebecca Lloyd opened the meeting by summarizing the county’s situation: “the challenges is facing the loss of federal funding and declining tax revenue, and the increased cost of everything, which are hitting our pocketbooks,” she said. County leaders described steps already taken to reduce costs and identified further options for the public to consider.

Why it matters: Clear Creek County officials said the reductions in taxable production at the local Henderson mine and other long-run trends have cut property-tax receipts substantially since 2015. At the same time the county faces rising operating and capital costs — from emergency vehicles to road and facility maintenance — and program funding that depends on competitive state or federal grants. Officials warned that without a mix of economic development, service reductions or new revenue the county could need to cut or scale back core services including public safety, public-health hours and some administrative functions.

Most important details

- Revenue trends and reserves: Officials said property-tax revenue that was around $27 million in 2015 has fallen to about $12 million in 2025 because the Henderson mine is producing less. The board estimates a cumulative revenue loss since 2015 of about $15.3 million. The county currently holds roughly $15 million in unrestricted reserves but faces a projected $7 million structural shortfall over the coming years if no additional revenue or major economic gains materialize.

- Immediate and near-term needs: The county listed immediate funding needs of roughly $3.2 million (including competitive compensation and emergency services) and near-term needs of about $3.75 million (including sustaining grant-funded programs and capital catch-up). Officials said capital and equipment shortfalls are running about $750,000 a year and cited a health center debt-service obligation of about $640,000 per year.

- Fire and EMS: County staff and commissioners described increased demand for emergency medical services and the need for a third ambulance crew. Officials said Clear Creek EMS’s billed-recovery rate is roughly 35%, meaning billed charges recover a fraction of actual costs, and that Gilpin County charges about $1,000 to respond into Clear Creek when called as backup. County presenters said the fire authority’s cardiac-arrest survival average over the last three years is roughly 24% compared with a national average near 7% — a data point officials used to emphasize the value of local emergency services. The board said it is likely to put a measure on the ballot to increase mills in the unincorporated area to fund fire and EMS; a specific proposal of about 6.89 mills was discussed and county staff said a final decision is expected in late August.

- Cost-control actions already taken: Commissioners described previous reductions including elimination of about 35 full-time-equivalent positions since 2015 (estimated $2.8 million in annual savings), rebidding stop-loss insurance for an estimated $500,000 annual savings, and outsourcing or consolidating dispatch to a regional provider (GEFCON) for about $350,000 annual savings.

- Tax and fee options discussed: Presenters described multiple revenue options the county could pursue under current Colorado law: a county sales tax (with or without an exemption for groceries), a property-tax (mill levy) increase, or a hybrid that combines a smaller sales tax with additional mills. Slides shown at the meeting compared estimated household impacts across several income/household scenarios and highlighted trade-offs: sales taxes collect more from visitors but can be regressive without exemptions, while property taxes produce a lump-sum bill and are affected by assessment rates.

- Tourism, parking and tolling: Officials discussed using targeted fees and enforcement (paid parking at high-use lots, camera enforcement on scenic roads) and continuing dialogue with state and federal partners about tolling and traffic management on I-70 and county roads. They noted that many recreational services (rafting, lift tickets, some guided recreation) are taxed differently because Colorado taxes goods and property but not many services.

- Grants and program risk: Commissioners said several programs rely on competitive state and federal grants (for example, co-responder mental-health teams, Mountain Youth Network and other public-health efforts). Those grants can be volatile; the county flagged the risk that those revenues may not be renewed, which would either require replacing the funds locally or ending programs.

What the commissioners directed and what’s next

County leadership said staff will continue: producing a multi-year forecast, completing a facilities assessment (including evaluating whether to consolidate offices and sell an annex), finishing a jail operations analysis, finalizing capital replacement plans, and presenting a formal ballot recommendation on fire/EMS financing in late August. Commissioners encouraged public engagement and said they will return to town halls and outreach as the budget process continues.

Quotes from the meeting

- “We’re trying to think outside the box and appreciate your ideas,” Commissioner Rebecca Lloyd said while outlining the county’s work with statewide partners and noting the challenges of limited developable land.

- Officials said the county had identified about $3.65 million in recurring annual cost-control savings from prior actions including staff reductions and insurance rebids.

Ending

County leaders stressed the choices ahead are a combination of policy, budgeting and economic development. They emphasized that the board is not yet finalizing a ballot measure and will present a specific proposal in late August after additional outreach and financial analysis. Residents were invited to ask questions and to contact county staff for the materials shown at the town hall.