Larimer County Commissioner District 3

Gibson committed to better roads

By JoAn Bjarko
North Forty News

Hoffmann says fairness important

By JoAn Bjarko
North Forty News

Seeking a second term as Larimer County Commissioner for District 3, Republican Glenn Gibson, 64, said he has several projects he wants to accomplish in the next four years. At the top of the list is widening County Road 19 (Taft Hill Road in Fort Collins and Wilson Avenue in Loveland) to four lanes.

Estimated cost of the project is $15 million, Gibson said, and he wants to finance it with a 0.2 percent sales tax for three years. The tax would have to be approved by voters, and he would push for putting it on the ballot next year.

It would be the first step in many to solve the region's transportation problems, he said. "Eventually we have to look at the region of Weld and Larimer counties," he added. "We won't be seeing more funds from the state and federal government."

Gibson said making sure the county fairgrounds complex generates a profit is another priority, and he would like to start construction on the 4-H building next year. "I will strive to make the events center pay for the rest of the fairgrounds," Gibson said.

The county fair itself should not have to make a profit, he added, but the county general fund cannot continue to subsidize the fairgrounds.

Another goal is to make the county's parks department totally self-sufficient, he said. At this time, county general fund revenues support 6 percent of the parks department budget. Gibson added, however, "I don't want fees to discourage use of the parks."

Gibson said the county has several financial problems on the horizon, such as maintenance costs for the open lands program. The sales tax that helps finance operating costs at the detention center will expire in 2015, he added.

"We need to take little steps between now and 2015 so that when we're there we don't have a big hit," the commissioner said. "If the public chooses not to give dollars over the years, we need to start cutting things the county does."

Gibson said he believes the county has done what it can to involve citizens in local government. Residents can discuss any land use concern or budget issue at any public meeting, he said. The commissioners also have regular meetings with citizens outside the courthouse, he added.

Gibson said he thinks the county's volunteer advisory boards are more balanced than they were four years ago. "I don't want the board to be slanted in one direction," he said. "We have worked hard to have balanced boards."

In response to his opponent's criticism of the commissioners' support of tax breaks for the Centerra development in Loveland, Gibson said that was not a county decision. He called the projected county loss of $88 million "blue sky" dollars. In addition, he said, the county will benefit by not having to build $40 million of infrastructure to serve that area.

"The loss incurred will be made up," he said.

Gibson has an associate degree in electronics from Milford Community College in Nebraska. After moving to Loveland in 1967, he worked for Hewlett Packard and Agilent for 34 years, establishing a career as an engineer through on-the-job training.

Also a competitive tennis player, Gibson is ranked fourth in Colorado in his age bracket. He has also served on several volunteer community boards.

Loveland Democrat Roger Hoffmann wants to unseat Republican Glenn Gibson in the election for Larimer County Commissioner for District 3. Hoffmann, 53, is especially critical of Gibson's decisions on spending.

At the top of the list is the current commission's endorsement of a tax break for the Centerra development in Loveland. Although Loveland City Council made the decision, the county did not object and will lose $88 million in taxes over the next 25 years, Hoffmann said.

"Whenever you skew the playing field, you unfairly burden another group of people and businesses who didn't get special deals," he said. "Why weren't they standing up for the taxpayer? ... The last thing we should be doing is shifting funds for special interests."

He also criticized the commissioners for spending $10 million more on the courthouse offices building than voters approved. The final cost for the five-story building was $27 million.

Noting that the county will be facing tight budgets for many years, Hoffmann said more effort needs to go into analyzing public needs and services. "We need to know where we line up within the state and nationally and decide where we want to be," he said.

The candidate said county officials should take a long-range look at budget needs so they don't continually ask voters to approve new taxes. "We need to make sure we will have the revenue we need as we grow," he said, adding that adequate development fees are essential.

He said he would encourage all county employees to help guide improvements in their own departments. As a county leader, he would make a case to the public on what problems the county faces. "I would provide all the options for how to fix those problems and champion fixing those problems," he said.

Hoffmann added that he appreciates diverse opinions. "From the cauldron of competing points of view, you really get long-lasting solutions," he said. "If there are holes in an idea, I want to have them exposed early on to come to a better idea."

The county also needs to improve citizen involvement in public issues, he said. Notice of important public meetings is too short, he said, and most people cannot attend meetings during the day. When appointing volunteers to county boards, he would give more attention to finding a broad array of public voices, he added.

Hoffmann also criticized Gibson for having "too much ideological rigidity and drawing hard lines prematurely." For example, he said, Gibson took a hard line on management issues at Fossil Creek Reservoir when he voted against a previously agreed plan that the county would buy surface rights as part of the open lands program.

Hoffmann said his strengths are planning, organization, management and team leadership. In the mid-1980s he advocated for integrated pest management control of mosquitoes in Loveland, bringing diverse views into agreement, he said. His interests are in air quality, economic vitality, water issues and land use.

He attended Fordham University and the State University of New York. He has lived in Loveland since 1981 and worked for Hewlett Packard and Agilent for 13 years. He also worked as executive director of the Idaho Rural Council for one year. This is his first run for elective office.