EPURA, contin.

The rest of the article:

TIFs growing

In 2003, Larimer County had three TIF areas: the Fort Collins Downtown Development Authority; the Estes Park Urban Renewal Authority; and the Loveland Urban Renewal Authority, which focused its work on downtown Loveland.

Combined, the entities received $897,872 that would have gone to county coffers. In 2006, the county had seven TIF authorities - including the U.S. 34/Crossroads Renewal Plan that's part of the massive Centerra project in Loveland.

Combined, the areas took more than $2.1 million in tax revenue that would have gone to the county. This year's total is likely to exceed $3 million, said Bob Keister, county budget manager.
"That's money that could have gone to something else," Keister said. "As a county, we rely on property taxes to pay for public services. We don't have a lot of other options."
Filling in the gaps

School districts with high property-tax mill levies lose out on the largest sums of money. For 2006 taxes, Poudre School District did not receive more than $2.6 million, according to public records.

School districts are "backfilled" by the state for lost revenue through the complex mechanisms of the School Finance Act, said Dave Montoya, budget manager for PSD.

Districts with small mill levies also take a hit. The Northern Colorado Water Conservancy

District, which collects a 1-mill property tax, will not receive $95,576 in 2006 taxes from

Larimer County because of its TIF entities.The district, which covers eight counties, brings in $12 million a year in property taxes, said spokesman Brian Werner. Doing without $95,000 doesn’t cripple the district’s budget, he said, but “it’s not something we can ignore.”The district’s board of directors is examining the issue more closely, Werner said.Addressing concernsConcerns about the impact of URAs on other governments sometimes are addressed in agreements creating renewal areas. When Timnath created a URA in 2004, it agreed to reimburse the Poudre Fire Protection District funding it would not receive in exchange for a new fire station.The town also agreed to return a portion of the county’s revenue in increasing increments over time. Under the agreement, which came after the county sued the town over its URA plan, by years 21 through 25 of the URA the county will receive 60 percent of its lost take.Proponents of URAs say they bring improvements to areas quicker than if left to their own devices and eventually pay off for all entities.So far, more than $45 million in public improvements have been made through the Centerra project, including changes to U.S. Highway 34, extending Larimer County Road 5 and building storm drainage facilities, said Rich Shannon, vice president of community infrastructure for McWhinney, developer of the project.Funding has come from a combination of URA taxes, metropolitan district taxes and public improvement fees charged on retail sales, he said.Even cities that use urban renewal authorities for redevelopment take a hit from TIF arrangements. Fort Collins will not receive $412,000 in 2006 property taxes because of the Downtown Development Authority and the North College Urban Renewal Area.The revenue money will be made up over time as the areas are improved and property values rise, said Chuck Seest, city finance director.“We very much look at this as the city being a stakeholder and investor in these areas,” he said.The Fort Collins City Council recently approved an urban renewal plan aimed at redeveloping Foothills Mall.While a financial plan for the project has yet to be negotiated with the mall’s owner, General Growth Properties, renewal efforts are projected to generate $60 million to $100 million in additional property taxes over 25 years, Seest said.County officials supported the Foothills Mall proposal because it seemed a legitimate use of urban renewal authority, Lancaster said. The area is not likely to redevelop without help and property values could decline.The county worries that creating urban renewal areas “will become the norm rather than the exception.”Cities are trying to keep a competitive edge by using URAs, but the result can be hard on entities that rely on property taxes.“I don’t see how you can cut up a pie into ever smaller slices and say you’re going to end up with a larger pie,” Lancaster said.

EPURA , cont.

You will never read this level of subjective journalism in the (Chipmunk Press) Trail Gazette, with EPURA scrambling to renew itself we read this article in the Coloradoan and thought it timely. Enjoy.

The annual ritual of paying property taxes is enough to make most property owners cringe.
But the distribution of those taxes can be painful for taxing entities as well when they don’t receive the revenue they expect.


The growing popularity of using urban renewal areas, or URAs, and their primary method of generating revenue — tax increment financing — as redevelopment tools in cities is hitting other governmental entities in their pocketbooks.

Growth and increased property values do not translate to in-creased tax revenue for those entities. The additional dollars are siphoned off through tax increment financing, or TIF, to urban renewal authorities to build public improvements such as roads and other infrastructure.Affected governments don’t “lose” money through the arrangement, but they don’t see what would be coming their way under normal circumstances, said Larimer County Manger Frank Lancaster.At the same time, they have to deal with the increased demand for services that come with higher populations and urban development.“We end up having to do without,” Lancaster said. “We have to tighten our belts another notch and look for ways to decrease expenses.”In 2003, Larimer County had three TIF areas; the Fort Collins Downtown Development Authority, the Estes Park Urban Renewal Authority and the Loveland Urban Renewal Authority, which focused its work on downtown Loveland.Combined, the entities received $897,872 that would have gone to county coffers. In 2006, the county had seven TIF authorities — including the U.S. 34/Crossroads Renewal Plan that’s part of the massive Centerra project in Loveland.Combined, the areas took more than $2.1 million in tax revenue that would have gone to the county. This year’s total is likely to exceed $3 million, said Bob Keister, county budget manager.“That’s money that could have gone to something else,” Keister said. “As a county, we rely on property taxes to pay for public services. We don’t have a lot of other options.”School districts with their high property tax mill levies lose out on the largest sums of money. For 2006 taxes, Poudre School District did not receive more than $2.6 million, according to public records.School districts are “backfilled” by the state for lost revenue through the complex mechanisms of the School Finance Act, said Dave Montoya, budget manager for PSD.See Wednesday’s Coloradoan and check out www.coloradoan.com on Wednesday for the entire story. Give and takeBelow are selected local taxing entities and property tax revenue for 2006 they will not receive because of tax-increment-financing authorities: Larimer County:n $2,141,843 Poudre School District: $2,267,865*nn Thompson School District: $1,679,141* Park (Estes Park) R-3 Schooln District: $396,265* Northern Colorado Water Conservancy District:n $95,576* School districts are backfilled by the state for revenue lost to TIF entitiesBelow are Larimer County tax-increment-financing entities and property tax revenue they’ll collect for 2006. The amounts do not include sales taxes or other revenue sources: Timnath Urban Renewaln Authority: $254,087 Fort Collins Downtown Development Authority:n $3,757,725 North College Urban Renewal Authority:n $112,480 Estes Park Urban Renewal Authority: $858,839nn U.S. 34/Crossroads Corridor Re-newal Plan: $4,361,290

Give Us The Money And We Will Build It!

Duh, thanks the money and the pretty building, now what do we do with it. Is it just the Estesparkian that sees the stupidity in this town? Folks, it was strongly suggested that you not give money to these folks, but, what the hey, you trust them. After all they are friends and neighbors.

If you remember a couple of years ago, our State Legislators were frantic to solve the draught problem by proposing more water storage facilities. We actually had a vote on this. Remember? They said, “give us $2 billion dollars and we’ll figure it out.” Voters said, by their vote, that the State would have to figure it out, tell them how the money was to be spent and then they’d give it to them. Sensible voters are so petty.

Well, pardoner, not in Estes Park. At the mere suggestion of money people flock to the polls (20% of you) and say, hail, hail here’s the cash. This happened with the Hospital to a tune of more than $20 million and with the school district to a tune of over $20 million. These were the dumbest outcomes yet in the sad history of Estes Park voting.

What’s wrong you say? The hospital built a $20 million dollar lobby and some office space for paid staff and forgot to build up the one thing most important, the only real reason they exist at all. That would be the emergency services. Any rational person would use the emergency room here when absolutely necessary and transfer out to a real hospital if that didn’t solve the problem. But, our hospital board of trustees decided they’d deal with that later, build the monstrosity and then beg for more money for the emergency room. And, you moron’s coughed up $2.5 million.

Now we have the same situation with the schools. They have over 36,000 sq. ft. of new space and want to figure out how to use it. Remember the slides with the dirty labs and the lack of handicapped access? All they knew is what they didn’t have, but still haven’t figured out what to do with the property they are building. Accountability always takes the backseat in this town and you keep giving them more money. Will it ever stop?

Politics Anyone?

With all the significant political questions coming down the turnpike at Estes Park in 2008, like a semi full of squeaky pork barrel freebees, I thought it would be fun to prod the politics of the everyday Joe in Estes Park. Kind of wake you up, get the political juices flowing so to speak.

What are your politics anyway Estes? Left – right – democrat – republican – independent - progressive – or asleep at the wheel – go along to get along – butt kiss to get on the list? “My position is I vote like John tells me to” a quote from Wayne Newsome the last time he ran for trustee and was elected.

Only the views of the ruling oligarchy are allowed in Estes Park, everyone else is ignored or elbowed aside or sliced and diced with the excuse-o-matic machine. As a statutory town, the local electorate in Estes Park is non consequential. That’s why we insist on Home Rule, town hall needs to be slapped upside the head with a document of limitations, than they will start working for you the citizens, instead of themselves, wives, family and friends.

The Estes Parkian has been in your face with our views, solutions, opinions and visions for three years now. You may not agree with us and we do not care. After all we are not spending your money like a drunken sailor in a whore house. Whoopee!!! Sales tax is up one tenth of one percent the first week of February, raises for my wife and all our friends and busses in a traffic jam.

What if our forefathers went along to get along? What if our ancestors only had the foresight and vision to kiss the Monarchies arse? The Queen wouldn’t be visiting this week; she would be checking her western outpost.

New in 2008.

New Mayor?
Extend EPURA?
New Trustees?
Fire District Again?
Marketing District?

Remember, the Ark was built by armatures; the Titanic by professionals.

2008 could be interesting or it could be “I vote like the mayor tells me”.