While many Colorado counties and big cities are now struggling, Bent County is weathering the storm because the current county commission has been shoring up its balance sheet the past four years.
“Part of that is we made some tough decisions a few years ago,” said Bill Long, who is serving as county commission chairman for a third year in a row.
When Long and Commissioner Lynden Gill entered office in 2005 the county reserves had fallen to $359,000.
The two commissioners, plus then commissioner Frank Wallace began working to build up the balance sheet. When Frank Wallace was term limited in 2006, Republican Tom Wallace joined Democrats Long and Gill on the commission.
“We did not give raises for three years, cut benefits, cut employees. We cut back on sales tax distribution,” Long recalls.
After sharing in the pain, employees were given increases this year — and they still have their jobs, an important benefit in these uncertain times.
Watching spending like a hawk, and encouraging and supporting growth, the commission has restored the county to a stronger financial position.
Not only has the county boosted reserves to about $1 million, it has funded its share of the $3.5 million renovation of the state’s oldest still operating courthouse.
“We are far better off than a lot of counties in Colorado. Many communities are struggling more than ever,” Long observed. “They spent their reserves and are now having to make cuts.”
While the decisions they made were difficult and not pleasant, Long said delaying the belt tightening would have put the county in a more precarious position today.
Always supportive of growth, the commissions experienced defeat when Xcel at the last minute canceled a proposed coal-power plant in the county in late 2007.
But when you work hard, the agony of defeat can be offset by the thrill of victory.
In the win column were last year’s doubling in size of the Bent County Correctional Facility and by the construction of a wind farm in the southeast corner of the county.
Mountain Prairie, a unit of Hormel, added a new sow facility last year and added more jobs.
“Even though we worked hard, you need some luck,” Long said, referring to the prison expansion and new wind turbines in the county.
But maybe the county made some of the luck by being willing to pursue several opportunities at once.
While other areas of the state are belt tightening, Bent County will get some revenue relief next year when the full impact of the prison expansion and wind farm helps boost tax revenues, taking off some of the pressure.
Those major expansions are now fully included in the tax base this year, so they will favorably impact revenues next year when this year’s tax assessments are collected.
Long has testified before Congress to promote the Arkansas Valley Conduit project that would bring fresh mountain water to communities in southeastern Colorado. He is pleased to note that the project is now moving forward.
“We always have to be at the forefront in working with our fellow commissioners and elected officials in the Arkansas Valley. He said the county maintains close ties with legislators and federal officials.
“And even more so, the state.
“We will never make it on our own,” Long said.
While Bent County lost out on its power plant project, Long said he is pleased to see Tri-State Generation working on a power plant in Holly, farther down the valley.
“As much as we would like that in Bent County, we have to support other counties in their efforts to promote growth.
Right now, county government is scattered around Las Animas while workmen finish up the courthouse renovation.
By late April Long hopes the displaced departments will be able to move back in to a courthouse that will be like new and improved.
As the coming years enfolds, other counties — even states — in the West might look to Bent County as a role model for governance..
To paraphrase a patriotic motto,
The price of government stability and economic soundness is eternal vigilance.
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While many Colorado counties and big cities are now struggling, Bent County is weathering the storm because the current county commission has been shoring up its balance sheet the past four years.
“Part of that is we made some tough decisions a few years ago,” said Bill Long, who is serving as county commission chairman for a third year in a row.
When Long and Commissioner Lynden Gill entered office in 2005 the county reserves had fallen to $359,000.
The two commissioners, plus then commissioner Frank Wallace began working to build up the balance sheet. When Frank Wallace was term limited in 2006, Republican Tom Wallace joined Democrats Long and Gill on the commission.
“We did not give raises for three years, cut benefits, cut employees. We cut back on sales tax distribution,” Long recalls.
After sharing in the pain, employees were given increases this year — and they still have their jobs, an important benefit in these uncertain times.
Watching spending like a hawk, and encouraging and supporting growth, the commission has restored the county to a stronger financial position.
Not only has the county boosted reserves to about $1 million, it has funded its share of the $3.5 million renovation of the state’s oldest still operating courthouse.
“We are far better off than a lot of counties in Colorado. Many communities are struggling more than ever,” Long observed. “They spent their reserves and are now having to make cuts.”
While the decisions they made were difficult and not pleasant, Long said delaying the belt tightening would have put the county in a more precarious position today.
Always supportive of growth, the commissions experienced defeat when Xcel at the last minute canceled a proposed coal-power plant in the county in late 2007.
But when you work hard, the agony of defeat can be offset by the thrill of victory.
In the win column were last year’s doubling in size of the Bent County Correctional Facility and by the construction of a wind farm in the southeast corner of the county.
Mountain Prairie, a unit of Hormel, added a new sow facility last year and added more jobs.
“Even though we worked hard, you need some luck,” Long said, referring to the prison expansion and new wind turbines in the county.
But maybe the county made some of the luck by being willing to pursue several opportunities at once.
While other areas of the state are belt tightening, Bent County will get some revenue relief next year when the full impact of the prison expansion and wind farm helps boost tax revenues, taking off some of the pressure.
Those major expansions are now fully included in the tax base this year, so they will favorably impact revenues next year when this year’s tax assessments are collected.
Long has testified before Congress to promote the Arkansas Valley Conduit project that would bring fresh mountain water to communities in southeastern Colorado. He is pleased to note that the project is now moving forward.
“We always have to be at the forefront in working with our fellow commissioners and elected officials in the Arkansas Valley. He said the county maintains close ties with legislators and federal officials.
“And even more so, the state.
“We will never make it on our own,” Long said.
While Bent County lost out on its power plant project, Long said he is pleased to see Tri-State Generation working on a power plant in Holly, farther down the valley.
“As much as we would like that in Bent County, we have to support other counties in their efforts to promote growth.
Right now, county government is scattered around Las Animas while workmen finish up the courthouse renovation.
By late April Long hopes the displaced departments will be able to move back in to a courthouse that will be like new and improved.
As the coming years enfolds, other counties — even states — in the West might look to Bent County as a role model for governance..
To paraphrase a patriotic motto,
The price of government stability and economic soundness is eternal vigilance.
