Montezuma County commissioners censure sheriff for spending beyond 2024 appropriations

The Montezuma County Board of County Commissioners on Dec. 17 adopted Resolution No. 22-2024, formally censuring Sheriff Steve Nowlin for expending funds beyond appropriations in 2024.

County officials said the sheriff exceeded his appropriated permanent salary and fringe benefits budget by $336,000 after being repeatedly informed by finance staff to limit spending. The resolution states the overspend resulted in part from the sheriff granting individual employee raises up to 24% when the board had authorized a 5% increase countywide.

Travis (finance staff) read the resolution aloud in the meeting, which cites Colorado statutes and county financial policy. The resolution references Colorado Revised Statutes provisions requiring local governments to adopt an annual budget and prohibiting expenditures beyond appropriations, and it cites county financial policy sections (including policy 4.6 on budgetary control and 4.10 on management of the annual budget) as the basis for the board's action.

The resolution describes censure as a formal act of disapproval for conduct that violates laws or policies and states that the board found the sheriff's actions to be in violation of statute and county policy. Commissioners moved and seconded the resolution and approved it by unanimous voice vote.

The county attorney and finance staff were present during the reading. The commissioners emphasized that censure is a formal rebuke and does not itself impose a financial penalty; it documents the board's finding that expenditures occurred in excess of appropriations and notes the potential legal and policy consequences for creating liabilities beyond appropriation.

The board scheduled no additional immediate disciplinary actions in open session; further legal or personnel follow-up was discussed as appropriate within staff channels and, in some matters, in the subsequent executive session.