This week’s Garfield County Commissioners (BOCC) meeting was short and drama-free. No public commenters were on-hand at 8am and the first order of the day was to celebrate this year’s election judges. Dec. 6 will be the official Election Judge Recognition Day in Garfield County with an open house at the county administration building in Glenwood Springs from 2 to 4pm.
Jackie Harmon, county clerk and recorder, said 95 election judges helped out in November. Rifle resident Myrna Fletchall was one of those judges. She told the BOCC that this year was the first year she voted in an election in this country since she became a U.S. citizen a couple of years ago. “I can say to everybody, there’s no way that there can be something weird in our elections because I was there and I saw every single process,” she said.
Next up, the BOCC approved a conditional permit for a liquor license for No Name Bar and Grill. It seems the establishment did not submit hours of operation or the menu until Nov. 22 and was not open last Friday to accommodate the necessary inspection by the county public health department. So the permit was granted pending an inspection and notification of any changes in hours. Once the conditions have been met, a license will be issued after the state okays it. Meanwhile, no liquor can be served unless someone who rents the venue brings their own.
Commissioners approved the consent agenda. County finance director Jamaica Watts then requested approval of the mill levy for fiscal year 2025. “If you remember last year, you did a temporary mill levy credit based on the decrease in assessed value from 2024 to 2025,” said Watts. “We recommend keeping our normal mill levy of 13.655 for 2025.” She added this number would result in $41,020,627 in property taxes. Commision Chair Pro Tem Tom Jankovsky noted that county property taxes are down from $52,500,000 a year ago to $41,000,000 for 2025, primarily due, he said, to a decrease in oil and gas property values. “A total decrease of 24% in assessed value,” he said. “Ouch. We’ve been saying ‘ouch’ since September.”
Jankovsky expressed concern about future county finances. “We are a mineral-
rich county, a natural resource county,” he said. “The oil and gas property tax really helps improve our property taxes. We’re very dependent on the oil and gas industry.” He added that without the help of the oil and gas industry, the commercial and private sectors will bear the burden. “Even though we haven’t increased the mills, the assessor increases the value of houses,” he explained. “And the value of houses [is] going up.”
The BOCC approved the fiscal year 2025 county mill levy plus a grant application and intergovernmental agreement to allow the Northwest Loan Fund to continue making business loans in the county. The Rifle Economic Development Corporation asked for $20,000 from the county non-discretionary grant fund. Eagle Ridge subdivision asked for an extension of preliminary plan approvals.
The county Noxious Weed Advisory Board asked for approval of five members, three of whom currently serve on the board and want to renew their terms. Chad Smith, county vegetation pwrogram manager, said no one else applied. The BOCC approved the three existing board members and the two new members for three-year terms. None of those members were present.
The BOCC chose Glenwood Insurance as the county workman’s compensation insurance provider for 2025. And, after an executive session, they approved the mill levy for Traveler’s Highland Public Improvement District at 50 mills.
Candidate interviews for three Garfield County Public Library District (GCPLD) trustees are on track for Thursday, Dec. 5. It is unknown if Commission Chair John Martin will be present, which could complicate things if two commissioners can’t agree on who should be appointed. County attorney Heather Beattie said the process of making motions and having discussions could break a stalemate, or they could wait until incoming commissioner Perry Will joins the board.
“If [Martin] isn’t available,” said GCPLD executive director Jamie LaRue in an email to KDNK, “It seems to me they should push it to January, when Perry Will replaces him.” Trustee interviews begin at 8am (changed from the original 9am start time) at the county administration building in Glenwood Springs. The BOCC plans to appoint the trustees at the following BOCC meeting.
