Monument council adopts 2026 budget, mill levy and confirms 5% water franchise fee; approves loop-authority invoice in executive session

Monument’s Town Council on Dec. 1 adopted the town’s 2026 budget and appropriation resolutions and certified the property-tax mill levy for 2026. Council also confirmed a 5% franchise fee charged to the water enterprise fund (an auditor-flagged item originally implemented in 2018 but lacking a formal council resolution) and, after an executive session on legal advice related to the Loop Water Authority intergovernmental agreement, approved payment of a Loop Authority invoice for $17,143.

Budget: Council adopted Resolution 70-2025 (2026 budget) and Resolution 71-2025 (appropriations) after staff reviewed budget details and answered questions about line items. Council discussed whether to withhold Fountain Creek Watershed District membership dues pending county action on board representation; staff advised that the budget simply contains a plan and actual payment can be delayed pending council direction. Council also discussed a town efficiency review showing the municipality is relatively lean on staff and revenue-per-employee metrics; staff will supply the full analysis to council.

Mill levy: Council certified the property-tax mill levy for 2026 at the full legal amount permitted; staff noted a possible technical amendment may be needed on Dec. 15 once county calculations are final.

Water franchise fee: Finance staff explained the fee history (12% in 1987, reductions, and a reintroduction of 5% in budget documents since 2018). Because auditors could not find a council action that formally reinstated the 5% fee, staff presented a confirming resolution; council adopted Resolution 72-2025 to formally confirm the 5% franchise fee. Council discussed whether fee-setting should be moved into ordinance form in 2026 for greater clarity.

Executive session/Loop Authority invoice: Council entered executive session for legal advice on a loop-water-authority intergovernmental agreement. After returning to public session the council approved payment of a $17,143 invoice to the Loop Authority (motion and roll call noted in session; transcript records the vote as six to zero). Staff said the invoice had been budgeted in 2025 appropriations.

Next steps: staff will prepare any necessary technical corrections to the mill-levy certification on Dec. 15 if the county supplies revised calculations; staff will also prepare an ordinance option if council wants to codify franchise-fee authority rather than rely on resolution authority.