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Clear Creek County outlines $4.8 million sustainability gap and lays out tax options
Summary
County staff presented a multi-year review showing a roughly $4.8 million funding gap after near-term offsets, and modeled tradeoffs between sales-tax increases, property tax (mills) and hybrid approaches. Commissioners said a future ballot question could focus first on unincorporated fire and EMS funding.
Clear Creek County officials told residents at a town hall that long-term declines in mineral production and other structural factors have created a persistent funding gap they must address to sustain current services.
Colton Roloff, deputy county manager, said the county is working from a roughly $7 million structural shortfall and has identified about $2.2 million in near-term revenue or savings, leaving a $4.8 million gap the county must close "to get to a sustainable revenue model." He said the figure reflects a $15 million drop in property-tax-related revenue tied to reduced mine production since 2015, two voter-approved sales taxes that together raise about $4.5 million, and service and capital needs that are now underfunded.
Roloff said staff have pursued immediate cost controls — roughly 30–35 full-time equivalents (FTEs) reduced, $2.8 million estimated savings; rebidding a stop-loss insurance contract (about $500,000 saved); and…
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