Broomfield Taxpayer Matters

January 20, 2025

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This newsletter contains the following stories and information:

• Our Next Make Your Voice Heard Event - Budget 101
• Responding to the Council's Disrespect Regarding Comments on Their Expenses
• Financial Impact of Regulation, and Key Colorado Legislative Bills
• Preliminary Council Agendas
• January 21, 2025, Study Session
• January 28, 2025, Regular Meeting
• City Council member contact information

Pay Attention to these upcoming items in the Broomfield Council Agendas:

January 21 - Study Session

• 2A. SS4A - Broomfield Transportation Safety Action Plan Update
• 2B. Overview of Coordinated Update to Broomfield's Planning and Development Regulations
• 2C. Accessory Dwelling Units Code Update and the Requirements of HB24-1152

January 28 - Regular Meeting

• 5A. Expense Report for Elected Officials- 4th Quarter 2024
• 6D. Proposed Resolution No. 2025-42 TBRA Renewal Contract
• 6F. Request for Executive Session Regarding Broomfield Town Square
• 7B. Adopting a Flag Policy on property owned or controlled by the City and County of Broomfield
• 7C. Council Event Sponsorships - 2025 Slate



Please let us know if you plan to attend by registering here.

Local News

Responding to the Council's Disrespect Regarding Comments on Their Expenses.

Last week, we sent out a "Call to Action" asking you to tell the Broomfield Council to Stop Abusing Their Expense Policy which they changed at the January 14, 2025 City Council Meeting.

Specifically, we asked you to attend the Council Meeting and tell them what you think about them changing their own expense policy to allow them to abuse your tax dollars and their expense budget.

Many citizens spoke and voiced concerns about their proposed expense policy. For those who spoke up, thank you for being involved and making your voice heard!

The information we have shared below comes from the Council's own expense report for 2024. We present their own data straight forward and clear manner. Their own numbers don't lie. Certain Broomfield Councilmembers drastically overspent their agreed-to individual expense budgets in 2024.

Should multiple councilmembers have gone to the same conferences in Washington DC and Florida (how is that cost effective)? Should they have taken advantage of your tax dollars and traveled out of state multiple times? What did Broomfield tangibly gain from their travel and attendance using your tax dollars? What was misleading? You be the judge.

Yet some on the Broomfield Council took exception to being called out for their mismanagement of their expense budget and the intent to change their own expense policy. Ward 5 Councilmember Todd Cohen in particular chose to characterize the call to action and comments made as misleading, disparaged those who spoke up against the policy, and downplayed the comments from the public questioning their intent to change their own expense policy.

And, there is more to the story - This is not an isolated situation for the Broomfield Council. On April 25, 2023, Councilmember Henkel's 2023 expense budget reduced because she overspent her expense budget in 2022 by $2,525.55.

To quote the April 25, 2023 staff memo: "It should be noted that Councilmember Henkel's 2023 Training and Travel Budget were reduced, to account for the overage in 2022 and no budget was rolled forward into 2023."

We even went back and looked at the Council expenses for 2019, 2020, and 2021. NO councilmembers exceeded their budget. This is why what the current Broomfield Council has done with their expense budgets since 2022 is so alarming.

So, here is the $49,000 question: Why did they reduce Councilmember Henkel's expenses budget in 2023, but did something completely different at the start of 2025? Why didn't they take the same action as occurred in 2023, and reduce the 2025 expense budgets for Councilmembers Marsh-Holschen, Ward, and Henkel? If the Broomfield Council expenses in 2024 were above board and legitimate, why did they need to change their own policy and excuse and bless overspending their expense budgets?

If there is anything that is misleading in this situation, it sits squarely with the Broomfield Council.

With the resolution they passed on January 14, 2025, you can count on them continue to abuse (yes, abuse) their expense budgets in 2025 and beyond.

For the citizens that spoke at the January 14 2025 Council Meeting, we say thank you again. You speak for other citizens who aren't there and would think the same way as you. It is not easy express your concerns, and then have elected officials treat you with contempt, lecture you, and then dismiss your concerns completely. You deserve the be respected and heard, not disparaged and dismissed.

State News

In his State of the State Address, Governor Polis called on state legislators to "work together to reduce the cost of living and improve public safety."

It remains to be seen if they will actually do so, but we are skeptical. In fact, a study completed by the Colorado Chamber of Commerce found that for every "10% increase in business regulations...Colorado loses up to 2.66 jobs." These regulations result in lost sales and those lost sales result in a loss of about 3.5 jobs for that 10% increase in business regulations.

Colorado ranks sixth for highest number of business restrictions with approximately 200,000 restrictions. The number of environmental rules exceeds the average by 75%, regulations concerning personal services up 227% over the average, 194% more regulation in health services, and 90% more regarding oil and gas. Maybe since other states are doing well without all of the restrictions, maybe a few of the regulations could be removed.

Some in the State Legislature are stepping to the plate to offer real reform to help hard working families, including a package of bills to repeal fees and regulatory increases, including homebuilding and energy policies. We at Broomfield Taxpayer Matters are also following two of the proposed bills that would affect you the taxpayers:

• HB25-1051 - Repeal Recycled Paper Carryout Bag Fee
• HB25-1074 - Change Confinement Standards Egg-Laying Hens

These bills would reverse previous policies enacted that have increased costs on all families, and hurt lower income families the most. We'll continue to provide updates as we watch these and other bills make it through the legislative session.

Upcoming City Council Meetings - Please let us know if you plan to attend by registering here.

January 21, 2025

Study Session - 6:00 p.m.

Agenda

Concept Review (1)

Study Session (2)

2A. SS4A - Broomfield Transportation Safety Action Plan Update

2B. Overview of Coordinated Update to Broomfield's Planning and Development Regulations

2C. Accessory Dwelling Units (ADUs) Update and the Requirements of HB24-1152

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January 28, 2025

Regular Meeting - 6:00 p.m.

Agenda

Meeting Commencement (1)

         1A. Pledge of Allegiance

         1B. Review and Approval of Agenda

Petitions and Communications (2)

2A. Recognition of Broomfield High School State Champion Football Team

Councilmember Reports (3)

Public Comment (4)

Public is allowed to comment on items other than those listed in the current agenda

Reports (5)

5A. Expense Report for Elected Officials- 4th Quarter 2024

Consent Items (6)

6A. Approval of Minutes

-  January 14, 2025 Regular Meeting

6B. Legacy High School Traffic Signal

-  Resolution No. 2025-11

6C. Proposed Resolution for 120th Local Improvements Design Agreement

- Resolution No. 2025-28

6D. Tenant-Based Renewal Agreement (TBRA) Renewal Contract

- Resolution No. 2025-42

6E. Request for Executive Sessions - Presiding Municipal Court Judge's Annual Performance Review

6F. Request for Executive Session Regarding Broomfield Town Square

Action Items (7)

7A. Regional Bikeshare Program Memorandum of Understanding

-  Resolution No. 2025-10

7B. Adopting a Flag Policy on property owned or controlledby the City and County of Broomfield

- Resolution No. 2025-02

7C. Council Event Sponsorships - 2025 Slate

Mayor and Councilmember Requests for Future Action (8)

Adjournment (9)