County, Meeker, Rangely, Stories

Local government will feel state budget pain

RBC I Given the state’s budget woes, the trickle-down effect means local governing bodies won’t be spared taking financial hits.
“It’s just pain across the board,” said Sen. Al White, R-Hayden, who represents Rio Blanco County.
White spoke last week at a meeting of the Northwest Colorado Municipal League in Craig. What he had to say wasn’t pretty.
“The outlook for the remainder of 2010-11, it’s fairly bleak. We’re out of balance about $200 million,” White said. “2011-12 is worse. We’re $1 billion out of balance that we need to cut or fill holes. Several hundred million dollars benefiting Medicaid, higher ed and K-12 are, basically, going away.”
As one of the six members of the Joint Budget Committee, White will be in the thick of the budget battles. The committee is made up of three senators and three representatives. White knows this coming legislative session will be difficult.
“I tell you, it makes me weary, honestly,” he said of the anticipated budget challenges. “The last three budget years have been difficult, and I’m anticipating this one will be. We know we have at least this mountain to climb before things get better. I don’t know that they can get any worse.”
This will be White’s fifth year on the budget committee.
“This will be the worst budget I’ve seen, and the worst, honestly, anybody has seen in recent memory,” he said.
Local governments, like the Meeker Town Board, are braced for what’s coming down the pike.
“They (the Joint Budget Committee members) are making every effort to respect where all the money goes and the jobs it funds, but they are just over a billion dollars short in balancing the budget and they have to make that up somewhere, so no doubt there are going to be some cuts,” said Meeker Mayor Mandi Etheridge. “For the town of Meeker, we are looking at a conservative 2011 budget right now. Personnel-wise we are still at a pay freeze, but we are not cutting any jobs.”
Local governments have been advised not to count on money from federal mineral lease distributions, because those grant dollars may not be available.
“(The state) is allocating those dollars for the general fund, rather than for the purposes they were intended, which was basically grant money,” White said. “The governor advised everybody not to count on grants for the 2010-11 cycle. … I don’t think anybody was caught by surprise.”
Meeker Mayor Etheridge said, “As for the state budget affecting the town, the main effect is the distribution of severance tax and federal mineral lease dollars from the state. But we budgeted for not having those monies last year and we may do that again this year.”
“There’s a concern that we, the state, not dip into the federal distribution. Up to this point, we haven’t done that,” White said. “Those direct distribution dollars, cities and counties in northwest Colorado have been budgeting for them (in the past). But nobody (local governments) should be budgeting based on receiving a grant.
“It’s just difficult finding dollars anywhere,” White said. “We’re just running out of options. We don’t have any good choices.”
The best hope is the economy will begin to improve.
“Until jobs rebound we won’t see a revenue increase,” White said. “Sixty-three percent of general fund revenue comes from the individual income taxes that all employed people pay as a portion to the state. Until we replace the hundreds of thousands of jobs and people go back to work again, we won’t see our revenue increase appreciably.”
When that happens, though, is anybody’s guess.
“It’s just going to take time,” White said. “That’s what the economists seem to think. Hopefully in the next six to nine months we’ll see jobs start picking up. But until that mindset changes and employers start hiring again and people start spending money again, we won’t see an uptick. It’s kind of a chicken and egg thing. But sooner than later, people are going to be tired of the situation we’re in and they’re going to buy that new refrigerator or buy that new car and, gradually, they will ease back into consumerism, which will benefit the country … and Colorado.”

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It’s getting late, do you know where your kids are? Read all the Rio Happenings for this week in print or online at ht1885.com.
It’s getting late, do you know where your kids are? Read all the Rio Happenings for this week in print or online at ht1885.com.
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Mormon crickets have hatched near Rangely. They were all sighted on BLM land north of Hwy. 64 near the junction of CR 96 and CR 1, down a dirt road near the Moffat County line.  The picture shown was taken yesterday by Mary Meinen from Rangely. She says the crickets are about the size of a ladybug (less than 1/2”). Some of them are actually yellow in color but most of them are darker. They are milling around and getting ready to start moving soon. Note: Photo is not to scale.
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Mormon crickets have hatched near Rangely. They were all sighted on BLM land north of Hwy. 64 near the junction of CR 96 and CR 1, down a dirt road near the Moffat County line. The picture shown was taken yesterday by Mary Meinen from Rangely. She says the crickets are about the size of a ladybug (less than 1/2”). Some of them are actually yellow in color but most of them are darker. They are milling around and getting ready to start moving soon. Note: Photo is not to scale. Rio Blanco County and the White River and Douglas Creek Conservation Districts are still asking for your help to identify additional hatch-outs of crickets so that control efforts can be put in place. The success of the program will highly depend upon local landowners and the public helping to locate crickets as soon as they hatch. See last week’s paper for a list of ways to help or contact the County Weed & Pest District at 970-878-9670 or the Conservation District office at 970-878-9838 with any questions. Website: www.WhiteRiverCD.com
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Choose-your-own-adventure…. Hear from our Editor in this week’s edition and online at ht1885.com.
3 days ago
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A crew from the Flat Tops Chapter of the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation joined forces last summer to remove obsolete fences to improve habitat for wildlife. Read the full story and the foundation’s update from their 30th Anniversary meeting in this week’s edition and online at ht1885.com.
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4 days ago
View on Instagram |
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The winning teams and individuals for the 18th annual White River Community Association Buy-Fly Fishing Tournament are as follows. Individual top weight catch was Dave Metrovich and longest fish was Kevin Massey. First place team won by Rio Blanco Abstract: Erik Eckman, Adam Parrett, Dave Metrovich and Wayne Kirkpatrick. Second place team was Drake Consulting: Travis Kaiser, John Douglas, Tony Bartolomucci and Bob Brandeberry. Third place team Mr. Rogers and the Hood (accepted by Doug Rogers) Gary Rogers, Mark Beauchamp, Kyle Schutte and Rick Gunter. The white fish have been frozen and will be served at the annual White River Community Association fish fry fundraiser in June.
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Cowboy Carson Klinzmann on the mound for Meeker at Suplizio Field in Grand Junction last Saturday. Meeker took on the 4A Rifle Bears, losing 11-1, and the Basalt Longhorns, losing 7-3. Read the recap online at ht1885.com.
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