Commissioner Baker: we have a sustainable funding issue
Whether you’ve been a resident of Arapahoe County for a couple months or your entire life, you’ve likely realized that this community provides the best of everything Colorado has to offer. And as your County Commissioner, I want to continue seeing our residents thrive and prosper. But like many things in life, prosperity comes with its fair share of challenges.
My fellow commissioners and I realize there is a perception among many residents that the County has a surplus of revenue, but the fact is that we have a sustainable funding issue. This fiscal reality has been building for some time, but the pandemic coupled with population growth has intensified hurdles we face to continue meeting the needs of our residents. Despite recent news about increased property tax assessment rates, Arapahoe County only receives 13 percent of your property tax bill. The remaining 87 percent of tax revenue is distributed to the more than 420 special districts in the County—things like schools, fire districts, recreation and library districts, as well as cities and towns.
And the County was fortunate during the pandemic to see one-time infusions of emergency federal dollars from the American Rescue Plan Act to provide critical services, such as piloting homelessness programs, absorbing inflationary cost increases, and fixing critical infrastructure issues over the past few years. While these one-time funds have gotten us through a rough time, they are not sustainable, as they will end in 2025. But the need for these critical services remains.
Our residents’ voices are critical to guiding future decisions by the County. We welcome your input and encourage you to look for future telephone town hall events at s.zouxigx.net/townhall, follow us on social media or in future newsletters to stay informed and get involved. #Get2KnowArapahoe
—Commissioner Jeff Baker, Representing District 3, Arapahoe County Board of County Commissioners
