Controversial Issue Delayed Until 2026 Regular Election
Rick Langenberg
Following a slew of public meetings that produced mixed views, the Green Mountain Falls Board of Trustees decided last week to officially lay the axe into plans for a special election this fall to determine the fate of a possible tax hike.
If successful, the potential ballot issue would have generated an extra $85,000 a year but would have made GMF one of the highest taxed towns in the area.
In a series of votes, the trustees on June 3 reluctantly agreed to put the somewhat controversial issue, regarding town finances, on hold until the 2026 regular election. The elected leaders weighed in on five different options, neither of which received strong support. These ranged from killing the idea of a ballot issue altogether, delaying it until 2026, deciding whether the community needs a town manager, imposing a one percent sales and use tax for capital improvements, or expanding the use of the possible extra tax money to also fund personnel costs.
In the first go-around, the trustees couldn’t make a decision, with neither of the options garnering more than two votes. In the second official tally, Mayor Todd Dixon and trustees John Bell and Brandy Moralez supported the option of delaying the ballot question until the regular 2026 election. This idea was publicly endorsed by the mayor and outgoing Town Clerk/Treasurer Bo Ayad.
Ayad, who last week officially handed over the clerk torch to Nicole Woods, indicated that more “community engagement” is needed to resolve this issue. “It seems a bit rushed,” said Ayad, in describing the process of having special workshops in the last few months, aimed at generating public comment on this complex tax topic.
Unfortunately, these sessions never really achieved much in giving a clear signal regarding what tax direction, if any, the town should pursue regarding the town’s financial situation. In addition, new audit information released indicated that from an operational standpoint, the town didn’t find itself in a dire fiscal situation, as once proclaimed by a former trustee.
Mayor Todd Dixon, prior to the voted, echoed similar sentiments. Plus, he mentioned costs as a big factor, in that the town would not have to foot the bill for possibly $10,000-plus for a special election.
Due to election timing for a Nov. vote, the trustees found itself in a deadline crunch for making a decision. The trustees didn’t appear that enthusiastic about any of the options.
When the tax issue was first presented, many in the community believed it would deal with the touchy subject of whether it should operate with a town manager. This has been a thorny issue for some time and is a question that veteran Trustee Sean Ives wanted to pursue. Some community leaders contend that town doesn’t need a top manager and can’t afford this position and have favored putting more money into road improvements.
But this question appeared to lose much momentum in recent weeks, when new auditing numbers indicated that the town had operated successfully in the black for the last several years, with funding a town manager. Instead, more focus occurred regarding the town’s hefty list of capital improvement needs that now top $20 million, with no set fund for addressing these needed projects. And with federal funds drying up due to actions adopted by the White House, little significant relief is in sight
However, even with a delay in the tax vote, the town has not approached a clear sailing verdict. Town Manager Caleb Patterson told the trustees last week they would have to consider extending his contract, if they wanted to retain his services. Initially, Patterson, who came on board following the resignation of veteran Town Manager Becky Frank, was granted a temporary one-year deal. At the time, leaders figured his future employment could be determined by the outcome of the 2025 election.
But now this vote will not occur.
Patterson did not comment on the list of potential options. But he did indicate that just having a tally on the town manager question appeared redundant.
Following the board’s decision, Dixon announced a forthcoming executive session to discuss Patterson’s contract.
Real Restrooms at the Park and New Appointments
In other action, Dixon announced a series of successful grants, totaling close to $200,000, from the Colorado Parks and Wildlife and Kirkpatrick Family Fund (see related story) for a variety of improvements. The Fishing is Fun award at the park will enable the town to achieve a goal that has eluded leaders for years: a real modern restroom facility at the park. “We will have real bathrooms,” quipped the mayor. In the last few years, the town has operated with a port-a-potty system that has generated many complaints and posed operational challenges.
The Kirkpatrick donations, meanwhile, will assist the town in its bid for highway signage, Stilling Basin enhancements and the renovations of the old marshal’s office.
The June 3 meeting also was a session marked by new arrivals at the board table. Local leaders swore in new trustee Brandy Moralez, who served on the planning commission and is well-known in the community and is quite active on social media. Moralez ran for a trustee seat in the 2024 election in one of the more contested contests. Following the resignation of former trustee Don Walker, she was elevated to a position due to the fact that she received the most vote from the contenders who didn’t earn enough tallies to win a seat on the board.
Besides the appointment of Moralez, new clerk/treasurer Nicole Woods was sworn into office. Woods, who lives in Woodland Park, replaces Ayad, who has held this position for three years.
Bronc Day Update
And in other news, the 87th annual Bronc Day is slated for July 26. But unlike past years, fans of this even must be on time if they want to witness the festive parade, which grows every year. The parade trek down Ute Pass Avenue will only occur once, and will not back track for a second run, the opposite direction down the main drag. Marshal Sean Goings announced limited resources for having a “two-pass parade.” “That become dangerous,” said Goings. And the marshal noted that with closing the main highway for this length of time,” people get frustrated.
In public comment, Lisa Bonwell, president of Building Ute Pass Community, the event sponsor, supported the decision. She cited the importance of having a safe event and wanted to continue its reputation of having “no mishaps” in running the event for close to 100 years. She also noted that the parade continues to expand every year, and urged parade-goers to get to the event on time.
