Dore and Ross eloquently stood their ground for a while but finally backed down agreeing to remove the two items from the agenda for now, pending a future meeting with Rowland, Gateley and Ehmann. Somehow the mob had come to believe there was intent to fire Ehmann, also. Dore claimed that was not the case. While it was disappointing to see Dore and Ross back down, it was certainly understandable as they were facing a mob full of hatred and vitriol, and packing heat. At least a dozen uniformed Elbert County sheriff’s department officers and employees were among the vocal crowd.
I vote to have my taxes provide necessary services, not to educate the commissioners on the law and to have it enforced by the courts. The commissioners just don’t like these laws, believing they are unfair. And so they choose to sacrifice services to all of us to try to prove their “beliefs”. Is this their idea of service? In good faith? In the best interest of the taxpayers? If so, it is warped.
Instead of pay raises for the real workers in the county, the employees, and having government in the county operating five days a week and not just four, instead of hiring enough qualified assessors to perform legitimate property inspections and fair valuations, instead of grading and paving the deteriorating roads across the county, instead of reopening the county’s landfill/garbage transfer site, no, instead, the county’s elected officials have voted for a 30% pay increase for all elected positions. Earlier this year, the state legislature offered them the choice of 0%, 10%, 20% or 30% increases. Noting that there had been no increases for elected officials in seven years, they immediately acted like the politicians they are and claimed 30%.
The first to see these increases will be any officials elected or re-elected in the November 2016 elections. County manager Ed Ehmann, who frequently cites lack of budget as the reason the roads are in such bad shape, says that the higher property taxes assessed earlier in the year, will pay for this pay hike. Nice, eh? Perhaps the elected officials’ pay hike will be unaffordable after all this litigation is settled. But in the meantime, just eat dirt, on the roads, that is.
Property taxes….another topic for another day.
Is it any wonder the employees are fleeing? The planning department will be down to two employees by mid-December. Even though the 2016 budget was presented in near-final form to the commissioners today, county manager Ed Ehmann today said he hadn’t had time to meet yet with the director of that department!
In your spare time, if you are interested in watching your tax dollars at work, plan on attending the court hearing regarding the determination of attorney fees in the original FCPA violation case on December 11th, at 8:30 a.m. in the Courthouse at 751 Ute Avenue in Kiowa.
In Summary: The taxpayers have no reason to expect improved services from the county because all of the soon-to-be-collected increased property taxes are going to line the pockets of our elected officials and their numerous attorneys and lots of court costs.
Who says your voice doesn’t count? Silence, certainly, has consequences. Call your commissioners and voice your opinion.
Additional resources for those wondering about the applicable laws in the current lawsuits:
The Fair Campaign Practices Act: C.R.S. 1-45-117
(4) Any violation of this section shall be subject to the provisions of sections 9 (2) and 10 (1) of article XXVIII of the state constitution or any appropriate order or relief, including an order directing the person making a contribution or expenditure in violation of this section to reimburse the fund of the state or political subdivision, as applicable, from which such moneys were diverted for the amount of the contribution or expenditure, injunctive relief, or a restraining order to enjoin the continuance of the violation.
And, Article XXVIII, Section 10 of the Colorado State Constitution https://www.sos.state.co.us/pubs/elections/CampaignFinance/files/amend_27.pdf
Section 10. Sanctions. (1) Any person who violates any provision of this Article relating to contribution or voluntary spending limits shall be subject to a civil penalty of at least double and up to five times the amount contributed, received, or spent in violation of the applicable provision of this Article. Candidates shall be personally liable for penalties imposed upon the candidate's committee.
Also in section 9.2 Enforcement:
If the administrative law judge determines that such violation has occurred, such decision shall include any appropriate order, sanction, or relief authorized by this Article. The decision of the administrative law judge shall be final and subject to review by the court of appeals, pursuant to section 24-4-106 (11), C.R.S., or any successor section. The secretary of state and the administrative law judge are not necessary parties to the review. The decision may be enforced by the secretary of state, or, if the secretary of state does not file an enforcement action within thirty days of the decision, in a private cause of action by the person filing the complaint. Any private action brought under this section shall be brought within one year of the date of the violation in state district court. The prevailing party in a private enforcement action shall be entitled to reasonable attorney’s fees and costs.