Those of us who reside in Jefferson County have a unique problem with dysfunctional local government.
Yes, like almost everyone else, our municipalities have a tough time making financial ends meet, and our county has a “financial crisis” almost every year.
However, we have elected county commissioners over the years who are dedicated to making problems even worse than they need to be. They want to turn the county courthouse in Golden (aka the Taj Mahal) into the seat of a grand political empire, no matter the cost to taxpayers.
The latest example of ineptitude in action is the development of the old Green Gables Country Club property at West Jewel Avenue and South Wadsworth Boulevard. The 152 acres will be developed into a $150 million mixed-use project with 600 residential units and 250,000 square feet of commercial space.
There is nothing wrong with that plan, per se. The rub is that the acreage is an unincorporated island surrounded by the city of Lakewood. As such, the new businesses there will not collect sales taxes to pay for the municipal-style services that will be needed to support the new development. That includes everything from law enforcement to traffic signs to plowing the streets in the winter.
These costs will be mostly borne by the county’s property tax levy, which is also paid by city residents.
The old Green Gables golf course property was rezoned by the county in 2012. Because of its size, it was not part of Lakewood’s original incorporation.
But the county commissioners could have saved everyone a lot of money if they had told the developers that they would not approve any rezoning and that the property would have to be annexed to Lakewood if changes in the land use were to be made.
A Lakewood official who was involved in the matter in 2012 told me the city held unsuccessful annexation talks with the landowner. And a delegation from the city did attend the public hearing in Golden to protest the rezoning. They were ignored.
Thus, the area will now become a financial drain on all county taxpayers.
If there is a law enforcement problem in the Green Gables area in the future, county sheriff’s deputies will have to drive almost a half-mile through Lakewood to reach the area.
Or, as City Councilman Pete Roybal pointed out in a Denver Post story, “If the … sheriff needs help, it is Lakewood (that) will assist.” More likely, residents and merchants in Green Gables will call the Lakewood cops first.
Here’s another way the cities are paying for the transgressions at the Taj: The county levies a tax each year for a road and bridge fund. The money is divided with cities. But over the past decade, the share for each city has been cut in half. Lakewood received $1.9 million in 2004 and $1.1 million in 2015. Strapped for money, the county has cut allocations to cities.
Based on the old formula, Lakewood should have received $2.6 million. Those lost bucks would have paid for filling a lot of potholes.
Jefferson County’s commissioners need to start dealing with reality instead of fostering delusions.
Dick Hilker (dhilker529@ ) is a retired Denver suburban area newspaper editor and columnist.
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