 |
| LovelandPolitics.com a non-partisan, not for profit website about Loveland politics for residents concerned about our community's quality of life. Send us your story or comment on the blog. |
 |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |  |
Loveland - October 7, 2008
residents for the 2009 budget. The budget of $175.6 million represents a 3.8% increase in spending by Loveland
from the net 2008 adopted budget.
Upon concluding the discussion Councilman Darryl Klassen stated, “This is more interesting than the presidential
debates” as council wrestled with a proposal to carve out $200,000 from the Council’s discretionary funds. At one
point, Councilman Rousey proposed an amendment to the 2009 budget but dropped the amendment after being
reminded he just voted down an identical proposal by his colleague Kent Solt. In the end, Loveland residents will
now be paying more for services to help cover the city's increased spending. The $6.5 million speculative land
purchase along the I-25 and annexation agreements where Loveland paid nearly double market rate for water shares
are not being repaid in the 2009 budget. Instead, residents are being asked to pay more across the board for city
services.
Don Williams, Loveland's City Manager, lives outside Loveland's city limits and will not be paying the increased
fees. When asked by council about the current economic trouble on Wall Street and whether the city should adjust
its revenue forecast to reflect the ailing economy, Williams told council they have lots of options if revenues do not
meet the budget projections -- primarily "cutting services to residents."
Tax Increase of Sorts
TABOR requires local governments in Colorado to first seek voter approval before increasing taxes. Therefore,
increases in city spending are often passed along to residents as new taxes disguised as service fees that do not
require consent of the governed before being adopted. In some cases, Loveland is doubling those fees or creating
new fees on services that were previously provided for free to the public.
Municipal Court fees were increased by 100% while residents can now expect to pay more for everything from
garbage collection and golf games to museum fees. The city staff report blamed, in part, the need to increase fees to
residents as the result of growth in Loveland.
John Hartman, Loveland’s Budget Director, characterized the budget in his report to Loveland’s City Council as a
“maintenance budget plan for investing limited resources to maximize service delivery in a growing community.”
Public agencies will often claim the overhead cost of providing services to a declining population increases per capita
but the contrary is difficult to justify as more fee paying users reduces the fixed overhead costs.
Below is a PARIAL LIST of new fees and fee increases:......FROM...........TO ...................
1. MUSEUM
Facility Use Fees: Facility Attendant, per hour $15.00.........................$18.00
NEW FEE – Museum Membership:
Individual......................................................$15.00.........................$20.00
2. RIALTO THEATER
NEW FEE – Intelligent Lighting Rental, per performance (includes 1 hour programming) .....$50.00
3. DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT
Planning Filing Fees
NEW FEE –
Annexation Publication and Recording Fee .................................... N/A.............$1,500.00
4. EXECUTIVE & LEGAL
MUNICIPAL COURT
Warrant Processing Fee,....................................$25.00....................................$50.00
NEW FEE – Additional (second & subsequent) Stay of Execution
Payments, each ................................... N/A....................................................$3.00
5. FINANCE DEPARTMENT
REVENUE
NEW FEE - Sales Tax License Application Fee ...... N/A................................$20.00
6. PARKS & RECREATION DEPARTMENT
HATFIELD CHILSON RECREATION CENTER
Chilson Classes ........................................ $10.00-$125.00...................... $10.00-$400.00
PARK IMPROVEMENT
i. Cancellation/Transfer Fee ................ $10.00-$50.00.........................$10.00-$100.00
7. GOLF
OLDE COURSE AT LOVELAND
Youth Play:
NEW FEE - 9-Hole Youth Play ............ N/A ..............$8.00
NEW FEE - 18-Hole Youth Play .........N/A.................$15.00
NEW FEE - Mini-Round ...........N/A..........................$5.00
8. POLICE DEPARTMENT
Police Records:
Copies of Reports & Calls for Service:
NEW FEE – Twenty-first Page & Over, Base Charge ..........N/A................$5.00
Twenty-first Page & Over, per page .................................$1.00...............$.25
NEW FEE – CD/DVD (photos, dispatch recordings, video) ...... N/A...........$10.00
9. PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT
TRANSIT FARES:
Youth (6-18):
Single ride ....................$.60.............................$.50
10. SOLID WASTE
Single Family Residential:
i. 32-Gallon Tags, each ........................$1.30..........................$1.50
ii. 32-Gallon Trash Carts, per month …..$5.00...........................$5.50
iii. 64-Gallon Trash Carts, per month .....$10.00........................$11.00
iv. 96-Gallon Trash Carts, per month .....$15.00.................$16.50
Multi-Family Residential:
i. Monthly Fee, if paid by tenant, per month ..............$10.00.........................$11.00
ii. Monthly Fee, if paid by landlord: @ 2-Yard:
iii. One dumpster once/week .............$40.00.........................$50.00
iv. Each additional dumpster .............$20.00.........................$25.00
v. One dumpster twice/week ............$60.00.........................$70.00
vi. Each additional dumpster .............$30.00.........................$35.00
vii. One dumpster three times/week ...$90.00.........................$100.00
viii. Each additional dumpster .............$45.00........................$50.00
ix. One dumpster four times/week .....$120.00.......................$130.00
x. Each additional dumpster .............$60.00..........................$65.00
xi. One dumpster five times/week......$150.00........................$160.00
xii. Each additional dumpster .............$75.00.........................$80.00
residents for the 2009 budget. The budget of $175.6 million represents a 3.8% increase in spending by Loveland
from the net 2008 adopted budget.
Upon concluding the discussion Councilman Darryl Klassen stated, “This is more interesting than the presidential
debates” as council wrestled with a proposal to carve out $200,000 from the Council’s discretionary funds. At one
point, Councilman Rousey proposed an amendment to the 2009 budget but dropped the amendment after being
reminded he just voted down an identical proposal by his colleague Kent Solt. In the end, Loveland residents will
now be paying more for services to help cover the city's increased spending. The $6.5 million speculative land
purchase along the I-25 and annexation agreements where Loveland paid nearly double market rate for water shares
are not being repaid in the 2009 budget. Instead, residents are being asked to pay more across the board for city
services.
Don Williams, Loveland's City Manager, lives outside Loveland's city limits and will not be paying the increased
fees. When asked by council about the current economic trouble on Wall Street and whether the city should adjust
its revenue forecast to reflect the ailing economy, Williams told council they have lots of options if revenues do not
meet the budget projections -- primarily "cutting services to residents."
Tax Increase of Sorts
TABOR requires local governments in Colorado to first seek voter approval before increasing taxes. Therefore,
increases in city spending are often passed along to residents as new taxes disguised as service fees that do not
require consent of the governed before being adopted. In some cases, Loveland is doubling those fees or creating
new fees on services that were previously provided for free to the public.
Municipal Court fees were increased by 100% while residents can now expect to pay more for everything from
garbage collection and golf games to museum fees. The city staff report blamed, in part, the need to increase fees to
residents as the result of growth in Loveland.
John Hartman, Loveland’s Budget Director, characterized the budget in his report to Loveland’s City Council as a
“maintenance budget plan for investing limited resources to maximize service delivery in a growing community.”
Public agencies will often claim the overhead cost of providing services to a declining population increases per capita
but the contrary is difficult to justify as more fee paying users reduces the fixed overhead costs.
Below is a PARIAL LIST of new fees and fee increases:......FROM...........TO ...................
1. MUSEUM
Facility Use Fees: Facility Attendant, per hour $15.00.........................$18.00
NEW FEE – Museum Membership:
Individual......................................................$15.00.........................$20.00
2. RIALTO THEATER
NEW FEE – Intelligent Lighting Rental, per performance (includes 1 hour programming) .....$50.00
3. DEVELOPMENT SERVICES DEPARTMENT
Planning Filing Fees
NEW FEE –
Annexation Publication and Recording Fee .................................... N/A.............$1,500.00
4. EXECUTIVE & LEGAL
MUNICIPAL COURT
Warrant Processing Fee,....................................$25.00....................................$50.00
NEW FEE – Additional (second & subsequent) Stay of Execution
Payments, each ................................... N/A....................................................$3.00
5. FINANCE DEPARTMENT
REVENUE
NEW FEE - Sales Tax License Application Fee ...... N/A................................$20.00
6. PARKS & RECREATION DEPARTMENT
HATFIELD CHILSON RECREATION CENTER
Chilson Classes ........................................ $10.00-$125.00...................... $10.00-$400.00
PARK IMPROVEMENT
i. Cancellation/Transfer Fee ................ $10.00-$50.00.........................$10.00-$100.00
7. GOLF
OLDE COURSE AT LOVELAND
Youth Play:
NEW FEE - 9-Hole Youth Play ............ N/A ..............$8.00
NEW FEE - 18-Hole Youth Play .........N/A.................$15.00
NEW FEE - Mini-Round ...........N/A..........................$5.00
8. POLICE DEPARTMENT
Police Records:
Copies of Reports & Calls for Service:
NEW FEE – Twenty-first Page & Over, Base Charge ..........N/A................$5.00
Twenty-first Page & Over, per page .................................$1.00...............$.25
NEW FEE – CD/DVD (photos, dispatch recordings, video) ...... N/A...........$10.00
9. PUBLIC WORKS DEPARTMENT
TRANSIT FARES:
Youth (6-18):
Single ride ....................$.60.............................$.50
10. SOLID WASTE
Single Family Residential:
i. 32-Gallon Tags, each ........................$1.30..........................$1.50
ii. 32-Gallon Trash Carts, per month …..$5.00...........................$5.50
iii. 64-Gallon Trash Carts, per month .....$10.00........................$11.00
iv. 96-Gallon Trash Carts, per month .....$15.00.................$16.50
Multi-Family Residential:
i. Monthly Fee, if paid by tenant, per month ..............$10.00.........................$11.00
ii. Monthly Fee, if paid by landlord: @ 2-Yard:
iii. One dumpster once/week .............$40.00.........................$50.00
iv. Each additional dumpster .............$20.00.........................$25.00
v. One dumpster twice/week ............$60.00.........................$70.00
vi. Each additional dumpster .............$30.00.........................$35.00
vii. One dumpster three times/week ...$90.00.........................$100.00
viii. Each additional dumpster .............$45.00........................$50.00
ix. One dumpster four times/week .....$120.00.......................$130.00
x. Each additional dumpster .............$60.00..........................$65.00
xi. One dumpster five times/week......$150.00........................$160.00
xii. Each additional dumpster .............$75.00.........................$80.00
| Council Raises Fees On Residents Balancing budget on the backs of residents - some fee increases are over 100% |
| Councilman Walt Skowron (left) and Councilman David Clark during the Oct. 7, 2008 council meeting |
| Mayor Pielin listens to Human Services director regarding homeless issue in Loveland |
| Councilman Cecil Gutierrez |