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Broadwater County board approves updated business-assessment fee schedule, will present recommendation to commissioners
Summary
The board voted to forward an updated fee schedule classifying business assessments to the county commissioners; staff and public discussed decals, outreach and timing for the assessment to appear on property tax bills.
Broadwater County board members voted unanimously to approve an updated business-assessment fee schedule and will present the board’s recommendation to county commissioners at their hearing tomorrow.
The approved update clarifies class classifications for business assessments used to fund county solid-waste services, specifies unit-based charges for businesses with on-site shops, and formalizes the county’s use of vehicle decals to identify payers. Board members and staff discussed outreach, protest deadlines and when the assessment will appear on tax bills.
The recommendation will be placed before the county commissioners at a public hearing; staff said the schedule will be published as required by state statute in the county paper on two dates and posted on the county website. Staff advised businesses have two weeks after publication to submit written protests under the applicable statute; staff noted they are not attorneys and recommended public questions be raised at the commission hearing.
Board members and staff discussed how the schedule treats contractors whose operations lack a fixed shop. Staff said assessments apply when a business has a shop or building taxed as such; contractors who simply make runs to the transfer station and have no shop would not be assessed under the shop-based unit classification. The board asked staff to confirm edge cases and said the schedule could be adjusted if issues arise after implementation.
Public and board discussion also covered seasonal landowners who use campers as temporary residences on vacant parcels. Staff described two practical enforcement options: (1) allow a six-month decal with a distinct color and require renewal or (2) assess the full annual fee and rely on users to seek exemptions. Board members said proof of seasonal occupancy would be difficult to verify and suggested a colored six-month sticker as a workable compromise for temporary users.
Staff described the decal program as the only practical way the county can identify who is using facilities without returning to round-the-clock attendants. Staff acknowledged initial public pushback and said the program has reduced uncompensated use of county transfer stations while creating some customer frustration during rollout.
Board members discussed outreach to notify affected businesses and suggested a short press release, placement on the county website and coordinated notices through the Broadwater County Development Corporation (BCDC) email list. Staff also suggested asking the local paper to use a bold front-page reference directing readers to the notice. One board member said the county’s postage costs have been substantially over budget this year because decals and two mailings were required in the same budget cycle.
On timing, staff said the assessment will be placed on the next property tax bill (appearing on November tax statements), subject to the commissioners’ decision and the statutory notice and protest process. The board’s recommendation will be presented at the commission hearing tomorrow and the commissioners will hold a subsequent public hearing with a decision scheduled at a later date.
Votes at a glance
- Motion to approve the updated business-assessment fee schedule and forward the recommendation to the county commissioners: motion moved and seconded; board recorded unanimous "aye" and the motion passed. The recommendation will be presented to the county commissioners the following day.
