Cities and towns lose road funds to Larimer County

By JoAn Bjarko
North Forty News

Larimer County will boost its road and bridge department income by about $2 million in two years without changing what county residents pay in taxes.

What does change, however, is how the county shares its income with cities and towns. When the change is fully in effect, Fort Collins will lose about $1.1 million a year. Wellington will lose nearly $33,000 a year.

Despite hearing that Fort Collins and Berthoud oppose the plan, the county's three commissioners approved the change.

As a result, the county will redirect all of the income from specific ownership taxes - a tax on vehicles - to the road and bridge department. Losses to other county departments will be offset by changing the road and bridge mill levy to a general fund mill levy. While state law requires counties to share the road and bridge mill levy with communities, it does not have to share specific ownership taxes nor general fund revenues.

Cities and towns will have to absorb half of the future loss of income in their 2008 budgets and the full reduction in 2009.

"We're between a rock and a hard place when it comes to our county road system," Public Works Director Marc Engemoen told the commissioners on Nov. 20.

Engemoen said he felt obligated to give the commissioners this option or face faster deterioration of county roads. "We desperately need that $1.9 million," he said.

Of the extra income, 10 percent will go into the department's reserve fund and 10 percent will be designated for transit programs. The rest will be split among various road maintenance programs.

Engemoen cautioned, however, "This is not a fix to our transportation problems."