State gaming regulators said today that the Colorado Department of Revenue is infringing on its constitutional rights by controlling its budget.
During an emergency meeting, the Colorado Limited Gaming Control Commission passed a resolution to seek immediate action from Gov. Bill Owens.
“We are facing extreme circumstances,” said Natalie Meyer, chairwoman of the five-member commission. “The problems are preventing us from exercising our constitutional authority.”
Meyer said at the end of the meeting that she planned to make an immediate call to Owens.
Meyer said the Department of Revenue is preventing the commission from hiring auditors, leaving the commission with insufficient staff to conduct financial reviews of the state’s mountain casinos.
M. Michael Cooke, executive director of the Revenue Department, said the agency has struggled to find qualified candidates who will accept the state’s salary requirements.
Cooke disagreed with the commission’s stance that the Revenue Department doesn’t have the legal right to oversee the commission’s budget.
“These issues have been blown out of proportion,” Cooke said.
A spokesman for Owens couldn’t be reached immediately for comment.
Staff writer Andy Vuong can be reached at 303-820-1209 or avuong@denverpost.com.
