Budget concerns could potentially result in closure of county jail, staff layoffs, diminished county services
by E.E.Mullens
WALSENBURG — Huerfano County offices were closed for about 90-minutes a week ago today as administration and commissioners presented information to all employees, department heads and elected officials concerning what budget and revenue restrictions will hold for county operations in 2024.
The commission chambers was packed to standing-room only as county staffers heard a litany of bad news concerning the coming year. And, administration and staff heard from disgruntled county employees as employee layoffs and potential elimination of some county services appear to loom for the near future.
“A pretty ugly meeting”
“Welcome everybody,” County Commission Chairman John Galusha said. “This is probably the worst meeting I’ve ever chaired. This is going to be a pretty ugly meeting, so just be ready. We have a lot of issues that we’re going to try to get out so you guys know where we’re at. And then we’re going to ask for your input, too.”
“So what we’re going to do is ask Carl to go over where we’re at, budget wise, and where we’re going, to get input and some thoughts. We don’t want this to be a total surprise to everybody, but to look at some of the things that we’re looking at in trying to balance the budget,” Galusha added.
County Administrator Carl Young showed a power-point presentation during the session which covered budget concerns as well as current options and ideas on how one of the poorest county governments in the state will handle finances and staffing in the coming year.
Tax revenues down, insurance costs up
Young’s material on the topic of budget concerns covered the fact the county’s 2023 budget expenditures exceeded revenues by $935,000. He also highlighted increased costs in health insurance for employees saying that health insurance costs will increased by 13% and dental insurance will increase by 8% next year. He noted property insurance rates will increase by 18%. Young also said the failure of Proposition HH, acted on by the state’s general assembly in a special session this year resulted in the passage of Senate Bill 23B-001 which will decrease property tax revenues to the county.
Young’s presentation showed a property insurance increase from $138,612 in 2020 to a budgeted cost of $344,086 in 2024.
DA Solano’s lawsuit to cost county an additional $440,000
“Year over year inflation continues to be a challenge both in terms of expenses and personnel costs,” Young’s presentation said. He also mentioned District Attorney Henry Solano’s case against the county, one the county lost, increased the county contribution to the DA’s budget by $162,040 this year and Huerfano officials are expected as per the judge’s ruling to meet most, if not all, of Solano’s 2024 budget request.
The presentation material said Huerfano County’s contribution to the district attorney was $128,669 in 2017 and the amended cost in 2023 was $577,360 with a proposed budget of $650,400 in 2024.
“If you’ve heard the three things that Carl said at the beginning, we went from $160,000 to $600,000 for a DA who may or may not be doing his job effectively. That is not a choice that we have. That budget came over the past five years, and that is the highest per capita in the state of Colorado. So that’s a big thing we have to swallow and we have to figure out how. And that was a battle that we fought two lawsuits and lost. And we’re still fighting that battle.” said Commissioner Arica Andreatta.
“If you’ve been doing this for two years, arguing back and forth, you have knowledge of what was going on at the district attorney’s office,” said long time county employee Melanie Bounds. Andreatta responded to the comment, saying,“Not only did we lose, he tried to sue all of the commissioners individually $100 per day, so we didn’t know what the result was going to be nor did we think we were going to lose. I still don’t believe that we should lose. That’s why were fighting it.”
“I’ve been in this county for almost 24 years. I know how this county goes. I know how the commissioners run it. It’s your responsibility. It’s not ours. It’s you that have made this mess,” Bounds said.
Options and ideas – close the jail?
As to the options and ideas officials are considering, none of the changes proposed were welcomed by county employees.
One of the most dramatic and visible ideas the board of commissioners are considering regards structural and operational changes, which include potentially closing the Huerfano County Jail and housing inmates in Las Animas County. “One of the things we’re looking at is the jail,” Galusha said. “Thirteen counties in the state of Colorado do not operate their own jail. So that’s one of the things that we may farm out,” Galusha said, at the meeting last week.
In a brief interview Tuesday, Huerfano County Sheriff Bruce Newman emphasized that he does understand why the commissioners may consider this high profile action, and said he has and will support the commissioners, however he told the World Journal this isn’t a done deal at this point. “I don’t think this will be anywhere near the savings they’re hoping for.”
“I don’t think they (the commissioners) are looking at costs and repercussions from this,” Newman said.
The sheriff said he will contact administrator Young this week and set up a work session between himself, administration and the commissioners to delve deeper into this issue.
Even with the elimination of corrections staff, the closure of the jail itself, there would remain costs associated with patrol deputies having to take over transfer duties from Walsenburg to Trinidad for all in-custody arrests, inmate court appearances, and even the testing of suspected drunk drivers.
As an example of the kinds of costs that would continue or increase with the closure of the jail Newman expanded on the issue of suspected DUI/DWAI suspects. He explained in the interview this week, that the intoxilyzer room is housed in the jail portion of the county law enforcement center and that particular room must be maintained to state health department standards for temperature and humidity for the testing device to maintain its certification. The closure of the jail would then mean a cut in utility infrastructure to that portion of the building; heating, air conditioning and ventilation, and would necessitate a deputy transporting each DUI/ DWAI to Trinidad for testing.
With the county’s IGA with Walsenburg still in place for policing services, and a smaller operational staff, the question of quality public and officer safety becomes an even larger issue than it currently is.
Recall Commissioner Galusha?
On the topic of potential closure of the jail, Bounds also spoke what many in the sheriff’s office, and jail may be thinking. “That’s gonna cost you,” Bounds said directing her comments towards Galusha and Andreatta. “We know,” the pair of commissioners said. “No you don’t. You don’t have a clue. You don’t have a clue,” Bounds said. “I think the best thing we can do is recall Mr. Galusha,” she added. “I think that’s a great idea. If you can get the signatures, I will resign. I guarantee,” Galusha said.
Layoffs, eliminate, furlough, closure, reduce benefits?
The presentation called for reduction in force; a mix of layoffs and elimination of some positions; early retirements and shifting current employees to open positions; furloughs of 20% of staff or closing courthouse offices every Friday.
The presentation also addressed changes in employee benefits indicating a possible solution in insurance costs with a change to a 75% to 25% cost share between the county and employee contribution. Currently Huerfano County pays 85% with the employee paying 15%. The presentation said this action could trigger a qualifying event for staff to consider other options, such as Medicare or Spousal Plan enrollments.
Other ideas
Other ideas included moving road and bridge department operations to four 10-hour days from April to September and ongoing discussions regarding continued operations of the county jail and Waste Transfer Station.
In the material presented last week, the highest costs to the county General Fund remains, such as it does in the private sector, personnel costs. Sixty percent of General Fund money goes towards personnel costs in 2023.
Recently the board of commissioners approved changing overtime pay to comp time for sheriff’s deputies, something that has not gone down well with both patrol and command level staff. Deputies of all ranks have been working extended shifts since late summer due to staffing shortages and the lack of applications for open positions.
While approving the overtime/ comp pay issue, the county commissioners also approved a freeze on all but emergency expenditures through the remainder of 2023.
WJ writer/editor Mark Craddock contributed to this article
