2027 budget discussions were at the heart of October’s brief and convivial meeting of the Town of Marble’s Board of Trustees, serving up an abundance of good news for residents and visitors alike.
Presenting the Treasurer’s Report, Amy Rusby announced that, as of the end of the third quarter, town revenues stood at 97% of the projected budget for the full year, with expenses running at a mere 64%.
This she attributed to an uplift in sales tax receipts and the emergence of a new income stream in the form of paid off-highway vehicle (OHV) parking. Coinciding with a drop in payroll costs and significantly lower expenditure for snow removal, the net result is that Marble’s cash position has swelled to $651,000, up an impressive 46% year over year.
Rusby highlighted that Marble Fest, a popular event which has over the years struggled to break even, generated profits of $5,400. The board agreed in principle that this sum be allocated (along with a further $2,000 or so of town funds) to the provision of a water bottle-filling station adjacent to the Mill Site Park bathrooms. “How cool is that?” Mayor Ryan Vinciguerra said.
The town’s budget setting process typically evolves over a period of four months from September to December. Presenting its second iteration, Town Administrator Ron Leach explained that 2026 sales tax, which habitually constitutes around 50% of the town’s total revenue stream, is projected to reach $220,000, an increase of 29% from the budgeted $170,000.
Leach proposed that 2027’s target be set at the same level, $220,000. “It’s amazing how much stuff people buy,” he said.
After Sales Tax, the largest contributor to the town’s coffers is the Marble Campground, generating $55,000. Property taxes tallied $40,000, and the lease agreement with Colorado Stone Quarries produced $34,000. The paid parking program, a new income stream which was initiated only recently in 2024, is expected to gross $15,000.
Trustee Amber McMahill reported progress she had made investigating a Colorado State Forest Service fire mitigation grant. The Forest Service offers a minimum of $50,000 assistance, with recipients required to contribute 50% in cash or in kind.
When quizzed by the board on the restrictions imposed on the use of grant funds, McMahill emphasized the Forest Service’s insistence that they be earmarked for more technical projects than just picking up dead wood. She further explained that should the town wish to participate in the program, it should apply now for disbursement in spring 2028.
Funding is also being sought for the multi-phase Mill Site preservation project to address the deteriorating structures in the park, listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Town Administrator Ron Leach said that he had received several letters of support from the community for the undertaking. The initial planning phase will require a grant of $20,000, to which the town has already committed the requisite $5,000. Leach quipped that the project was “still in the mill.”
There followed a brief discussion around planned expenditures for 2027. Trustee Larry Good voiced his concern that the sum budgeted for parks maintenance ($11,500) might prove too modest given the need for upgrades to the Mill Site park’s bathroom, coming against a backdrop of higher inflation and its associated impact on the cost of plumbing services. In response, Vinciguerra hinted that the quarry might be encouraged to pitch in.
2027 expenses will be discussed in greater detail at the next meeting of the Board of Trustees on Nov. 5.
In Old Business, Trustee Dustin Wilkey asked the board to commit to a final debate in November on the plan to establish a mixed-use “corridor” through the town. This he proposed be followed by a conclusive vote on the matter in December. Should the measure be approved, Wilkey proposed that language be included to preclude “chain businesses” from operating in Marble.
The meeting was followed by an Executive Session to discuss the town’s ongoing negotiations with the Marble Water Company. At August’s meeting, Ron Leach characterized the topic as “The most important issue facing the town of Marble.”