Broomfield Taxpayer Matters

January 6, 2024

This newsletter contains the following stories and information:

Our Questions and the City's Answers on the 2025 Annual Budget
Community's Questions of Broomfield's Trash Ordinance Aren't Going Away
Colorado Attorney General is Running for Governor
Have You Seen the Price of Eggs?
Preliminary Council Agendas for January 14, 2025, Regular Meeting and for January 21, 2025, Study Session
City Council member contact information

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

January 14 - Regular Meeting

6C. Updating the Expense Policy for Elected Officials

- Resolution No. 2025-09

6D. Designating the Public Place for Posting Notices of Public Meetings

- Resolution No. 2025-01

6J. Request for Executive Session Regarding Annual Performance Reviews and Contract Amendments for City and County Manager and City and County Attorney

7B. Public Hearing – Ordinance Amending and Restating Agreements Relating to BURA Bonds – 2^nd Reading

- Ordinance No. 2261

7E. Water Treatment and Wastewater Chemical Purchases

- Resolution No. 2025-06

7G. Department of Human Services 2025 Grant Funding

- Resolution No. 2025-29

- Resolution No. 2025-30

- Resolution No. 2025-31

- Resolution No. 2025-32

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

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

Local News

We Have A Lot of Questions about the City's 2025 Annual Budget

As a taxpayer, you fund all government operations. We, at Broomfield Taxpayer Matters, think you should know where your money is being spent.

Each year since 2023, we have been reviewing the budget, submitted by the City's Staff to the Broomfield Council each the fall, and reviewing the expenditures, revenues, and debt in

Broomfield's Operational Budget and their Capital Improvements Plan. This year, we put all of our questions, the city's responses, and our follow up comments and questions on the 2025 Annual Budget on our website for you to review.

We began with a set of 50 questions, based on the City's Proposed 2025 Annual Budget, which we sent to the City's Finance Department in October, 2024. They responded back to those questions in November, 2024, which we always thank them for. In the meantime, the City published the 2025 Annual Budget document and removed the Proposed Budget 2025 Annual Budget document (don't worry, we saved a copy here). This added confusion to their responses as some of the documents they referenced were not available or referenced the wrong figures or tables in their responses.

Several of their responses did not answer our questions. In response, we sent a follow up document with our comments and questions back to them at the end of December and expect them to respond in a few weeks.

Here is an example of one question and answer paragraph:

The budget is a very complicated document and we think the City Staff should be more transparent with you, the taxpayer. This is what we are striving to achieve with our questions and follow up's with the City and County of Broomfield. Take a look at our correspondence with the city, it may raise some questions for you.

Community's Questions of Broomfield's Trash Ordinance Aren't Going Away

As you are likely aware, the City and County of Broomfield is implementing a residential waste service. Citizens that are not in an HOA will be required to either take the city's waste service, or "opt-out" of the service and pay the city $10.50 per month to not take the service.

To say that the program has not been well received by the 30% of Broomfield residents that are impacted by the service (HOA's are exempt from the service), would be an understatement.

An opinion piece by Broomfield resident Brooke Patterson published by the Broomfield Enterprise on January 4, 2025 provides a perspective that we feel many residents share. What have you decided to do with the Broomfield residential waste service? Are you taking the city's service? Are you opting out? Are you going to fight the opt-out fee?

Email us at broomfieldtaxpayermatters@gmail.com and let us know your view.

State News

Colorado plummets in migration ranking

In 2023, Colorado ranked 9th in growth, last year, 2024, Colorado fell to 40th according to a U-Haul Growth Index for 2025.

In the article, U-Haul states, “State-to-state transactions from the past year reaffirm customer tendencies that have been pronounced for some time,” U-Haul International President J.T. Taylor said in a statement.

“Migration to the Southeast and Southwest continues as families gauge their cost of living, job opportunities, quality of life and other factors that go into relocating to a new state.”

Below you will find a story stating that the current AG Phil Weiser is running for Colorado Governor. Has the current Democratic Governor made the state better? Will Mr. Weiser have the same policies that are responsible for the movement of citizens and their tax base, out of state? It may be time to vote for a different vision.

Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser is Running for Governor

The current Colorado Attorney General has put his hat in the ring to run for Governor in 2026.

In the article he is quoted as saying, “As your Attorney General, I’ve shown up in every county, listened to you, and gotten results. That’s how we make life better for all Coloradans,” Weiser said in his campaign announcement. “And there is more work to do to make Colorado a more affordable place to live, defend our freedoms & protect our land, air, and water.”

The question voters will have to answer is, "How has he made Colorado better and how does he plan to address the same questions that former Governors have asked and not gotten results."

What does it mean to you to make life better?

Have you seen the price of eggs?

As we ring in the new year, cost on every day staples are going up as well. The latest item to see an increase? Eggs.

You may be asking why the cost of eggs is going up. Is it the avian (bird flu)? Sure, that certainly contributes to it. But it's not the only cause of the increase prices.

A state law passed way back in 2020 requires that all eggs sold in Colorado must be cage free starting on January 1, 2025. The impact of this law, passed nearly 5 years ago, are coming home to roost (pun intended). In fact, Colorado Egg Producers anticipate that egg prices will go up by 15-17% for a dozen eggs.

Eggs should be affordable for families. Starting January 1st, they are more expensive. Once again, government policies shoved through by the Colorado State Legislature are impacting hard working families, and not in a good way.

For the 2025 Legislative Session, the Colorado General Assembly should do the right thing and help the Colorado agricultural industry and families and repeal this restrictive law, and make eggs affordable again.

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

January 14, 2025

Regular Meeting - 6:00 p.m.

Agenda

(no details available until Wednesday, January 8, 2025)

Meeting Commencement (1)

1A. Pledge of Allegiance

1B. Review and Approval of Agenda

Petitions and Communications (2)

Councilmember Reports (3)

Public Comment (4)

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

Reports (5)

Consent Items (6)

6A. Approval of Minutes

- December 10, 2024 Regular Meeting

6B. Broomfield Heights Stormwater and Pedestrian Construction Management and Construction Administration Agreements

- Resolution No. 2025-21

- Resolution No. 2025-22

6C. Updating the Expense Policy for Elected Officials

- Resolution No. 2025-09

6D. Designating the Public Place for Posting Notices of Public Meetings

- Resolution No. 2025-01

6E. Revocable Permit for Matthew Alderman (14560 Lowell Blvd) for a fence and berm

- Resolution No. 2025-17

6F. Reappointing Charles Mains, M.D., to the Mile High Regional Emergency Medical and Trauma Advisory Council (RETAC)

- Resolution No. 2025-20

6G. Approval of Mutual Agreements for BOE for abatements over $10,000

- Resolution No. 2025-26

6H. Approving the IGA with Colorado Legal Services

- Resolution No. 2025-19

6I. Approval of Hearing Officer Recommendations

- Resolution No. 2025-19

6J. Request for Executive Session Regarding Annual Performance Reviews and Contract Amendments for City and County Manager and City and County Attorney

Action Items (7)

7A. Public Hearing – Ordinance – Business Incentive Agreement with Peak Energy – 2^nd Reading

- Ordinance No. 2262

7B. Public Hearing – Ordinance Amending and Restating Agreements Relating to BURA Bonds – 2^nd Reading

- Ordinance No. 2261

7C. Wadsworth Interchange Area Development Bonds (BURA)

- Resolution No. 2025-35-UR

7D. Approve New Sister Cities Relationships

- Resolution No. 2025-23: Lalitpur, Nepal

- Resolution No. 2025-24: Cheyenne and Arapahoe Tribes

7E. Water Treatment and Wastewater Chemical Purchases

- Resolution No. 2025-06