Pitkin County human services staff presented a multi‑year plan Nov. 6 to reshape the Healthy Community Fund — the voter‑approved property‑tax levy that supports health and human services — ahead of a potential 2026 ballot renewal and a 2027 sunset. Staff said the proposal is intended to simplify the fund's growth and to strengthen outcome‑driven funding for essential services while retaining support for broader community nonprofits.

Lindsay Mahesh, the county human services director, recounted the fund’s evolution since 2002 and said the fund’s composition had grown to 73 organizations in 2025 with multiple mandated and partnered services. "The Healthy Community Fund is a dedicated property tax here in Peking County to support health and human services and community nonprofits," Mahesh said, summarizing legal intent and historic practice. She reminded the board that earlier renewals broadened program categories and added management resources.

Staff proposed a tiered approach for future distributions: Tier 1 would include core functional services (public health, access to integrated health care, behavioral health/substance use, self‑sufficiency, family safety, aging services, and food security) funded through competitive requests for proposals (RFPs) with defined outcomes and longer multi‑year contracts; Tier 2 would continue general operating support to health and human services organizations through competitive grant scoring; Tier 3 would provide smaller mini‑grants to community nonprofits that support a healthy community in tertiary ways.

Staffers said the proposal aims to preserve the fund’s stated ballot priorities while improving transparency, measurable outcomes and long‑term impact. Lindsay Mahesh and Deputy County Manager Cara Silvernaglia told the board staff are also consulting local partners (Open Space & Trails, Aspen Skiing Company, Aspen Community Foundation) about whether some environmental and cultural funding might be more effectively channeled through other local programs to avoid removing support without an alternative funding path.

Board members probed several practical points: what qualifies as a core functional service, whether the change would lock the county into rigid categories if state or federal funds return, how tiered allocations would affect smaller nonprofits, and whether capacity‑building support (previously funded at $120,000 over three years) should continue. Staff committed to bringing detailed FY26 recommendations to the board at the next meeting and to work with the board at a January retreat on ballot messaging and percentages for a potential 2026 renewal.

What's next: staff will return next week with recommended FY26 allocations and proposed ballot language options for the board’s consideration; they will continue partner outreach and plan a January retreat to refine renewal strategy.