Members of a special committee looking into how to ensure the long-term viability of the state budget agreed on at least one thing Wednesday: Colorado needs a larger rainy-day fund to help weather the lean times.
“We need an emergency fund, and I believe it needs to be of a substantial size,” said Sen. Greg Brophy, R-Wray, echoing a shared sentiment on the Long-Term Fiscal Stability Commission.
The state does have a reserve fund, currently set at 2 percent. Some experts recommend the reserve be at least 8 percent. But it was harder for those on the 16-member commission to find agreement in other areas.
Sen. Rollie Heath, D-Boulder, panel chairman, asked members “what kind of state” they wanted.
Several Democratic-appointed members of the commission envisioned a state with well-funded public schools, robust transportation and a good health care system.
While some Republican-appointed members suggested education, transportation and security were top priorities, only Weld County Commissioner Sean Conway, also a Republican, listed health care as a core function of the state.
Tim Hoover, The Denver Post
