KFFR Forum Question 2: State Mandates, County Services and the Budget
I joined Commissioner George, Liz Newsom, and Clerk Linke for a forum at the KFFR studios on Thursday, September 17. We each answered prepared questions in front of a studio audience. The event was broadcast live, streamed, and recorded.
Here is the second question of the evening:
Community members raised concerns about state requirements that can create additional costs for county government.
When the State of Colorado requires Grand County to implement a policy without providing sufficient funding, how should the county respond? If those requirements create additional budget pressure, what county services or priorities should be protected first?
And my response:
We should be working directly with state leaders, alongside other local governments, early in the process. That way, we can find common ground and support smart policies without putting extra financial stress on our local budget. We need to speak up early and build strong connections, so the state knows we are watching and standing up for our community's needs.
To relieve that financial pressure, we can look at redirecting funds the state already has to cover the costs of these new rules. We could also ask taxpayers under TABOR to consider a new funding measure, or persuade the state to not to pass the policy at all.
If the state does put a new mandate to us without providing the money to pay for it, my plan would be to first support the parts of the policy we actually agree with; second, figure out which requirements we can safely skip with little to no penalty; and third, carefully balance our local budget against the demands of the state. Our highest priority must always be the ongoing and everyday needs of our local residents.
As county commissioners, we can have a larger seat at the table in state decisions if we fight for it. State representatives in Denver are elected by the people and they do their jobs, but we are the ones who live here and truly know what is best for our home communities.
You can listen to the full forum here: https://kffr.org/elections/
