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Parks may close with failure of C
Roxborough State Park is one of 11 state parks marked for permanent closure by the state should voters not pass Referendum C on Nov. 1. Colorado State Parks also says Castlewood Canyon State Park could face seasonal closure if the state isn't allowed a five-year reprieve from TABOR spending limits.
By By:Kiersten J. Mayer
Roxborough State Park is one of 11 state parks marked for permanent closure by the state should voters not pass Referendum C on Nov. 1. Colorado State Parks also says Castlewood Canyon State Park could face seasonal closure if the state isn't allowed a five-year reprieve from TABOR spending limits.
But Douglas County legislators say there are other ways a reported state budget shortfall could be met if Referendum C doesn't pass.
Colorado State Parks has cut $2.6 million from its 2006 budget in anticipation of a 50 percent reduction in general fund support. Over the past four years, the department has cut about $2 million because of declining general fund support and has had to increase user fees, said Lyle Laverty, director of Colorado State Parks.
Henry Sobanet, Gov. Bill Owens' budget director, has projected the state will need to cut $365 million in spending next year if Referendum C fails. A recently released memo from Sobanet compiles $255 million in potential budget cuts. Owens hasn't yet approved the proposed budget for Colorado State Parks. The closures were determined by each park's ability to meet its operational costs through fees.
Laverty said his staff developed a set of scenarios anticipating what would happen if Referendum C failed.
"We wanted to have a good, rigorous analysis - not shoot from the hip," he said. "We were able to put together some very objective data in terms of operating costs and revenues."
Roxborough State Park operates at a 47.9 percent loss, with revenue of $123,768 and an operating budget of $258,543. Castlewood Canyon generates $258,398 in user fees, but has an operating budget of $318,475. Of 42 state parks, Colorado State Parks ranked parks based on a revenue to expense ratio. Castlewood ranked No. 12 while Roxborough came in at No. 27.
Chatfield State Park, also located in Douglas County, ranked at the top of the list generating almost 20 percent more than its operating costs with $1.58 million in revenue and $1.3 million in expenditures.
Rep. Ted Harvey, R-Highlands Ranch, who represents District 43 in the state House, said the possibility of closing 11 state parks permanently and 15 during winter months is remote.
"We would figure out a way to keep the parks open, just like we have for the past four years," he said. "We can keep the sky from falling."
Harvey, one of several Douglas County legislators who have come out against Referendum C, is planning to reintroduce a bill from the last session proposing a different way to account for state educational trust fund money.
Every year, $250 million to $300 million is taken out of the general fund for the state educational trust fund, as required by Amendment 23. The removal of the educational trust fund money reduces the amount in the general fund before TABOR calculations are made.
"Amendment 23 has not only raised [K-12] spending every year at the expense of all the other departments, it also brings down the base of the general budget by that much," he said.
Harvey wants to calculate the educational trust fund as part of the general fund, which would not ratchet down the general fund by that amount.
"Which is, coincidentally, what the budget shortfall is for next year - $250 million," he said.
State Sen. Tom Wiens, R-Sedalia, said permanently closing state parks is not going to happen.
"The governor should be ashamed of himself for putting his hardworking state parks service personnel in the position of being pawns in the C and D debate," he said.
Wiens believes the governor's office called Colorado State Parks and asked what would happen if general fund support would be cut, he said. However, it is a false premise to say 50 percent of general fund support for the state parks would be cut because it implies that general fund expenditures are going down by that much.
"Overall, spending will go up regardless of Referendum C not passing," Wiens said. "General fund spending will be somewhere between $6.1 billion and $6.2 billion in 2006, about where it was this year."
Wiens said state parks with operating costs exceeding revenues should be managed as enterprise parks, which would become self sufficient.
"Enterprising Roxborough doesn't mean adding roads and facilities," he said. "Personnel with the parks can manage them and we should let them do so. They should not be used in pawns in this debate. It cheapens the overall level of the debate."
Laverty agreed there isn't a promise that the state parks budget will be slashed nearly by half and said the proposed 2006 budget is a work in progress. Owens' budget planning group may submit something different to state Legislators, who in turn may have a whole different perspective on what they need to balance the budget without a TABOR suspension.
"They may leave parks whole and find the cuts somewhere else," he said. "Or it may be something in between. This is a very preliminary step in the journey."
Colorado State Parks' proposed budget also reduces operating and staffing costs, affecting hours of operation for 13 parks. The opening of three new state parks could also be delayed.
Contact Kiersten J. Mayer at kmayer@ccnewspapers.net.
But Douglas County legislators say there are other ways a reported state budget shortfall could be met if Referendum C doesn't pass.
Colorado State Parks has cut $2.6 million from its 2006 budget in anticipation of a 50 percent reduction in general fund support. Over the past four years, the department has cut about $2 million because of declining general fund support and has had to increase user fees, said Lyle Laverty, director of Colorado State Parks.
Henry Sobanet, Gov. Bill Owens' budget director, has projected the state will need to cut $365 million in spending next year if Referendum C fails. A recently released memo from Sobanet compiles $255 million in potential budget cuts. Owens hasn't yet approved the proposed budget for Colorado State Parks. The closures were determined by each park's ability to meet its operational costs through fees.
Laverty said his staff developed a set of scenarios anticipating what would happen if Referendum C failed.
"We wanted to have a good, rigorous analysis - not shoot from the hip," he said. "We were able to put together some very objective data in terms of operating costs and revenues."
Roxborough State Park operates at a 47.9 percent loss, with revenue of $123,768 and an operating budget of $258,543. Castlewood Canyon generates $258,398 in user fees, but has an operating budget of $318,475. Of 42 state parks, Colorado State Parks ranked parks based on a revenue to expense ratio. Castlewood ranked No. 12 while Roxborough came in at No. 27.
Chatfield State Park, also located in Douglas County, ranked at the top of the list generating almost 20 percent more than its operating costs with $1.58 million in revenue and $1.3 million in expenditures.
Rep. Ted Harvey, R-Highlands Ranch, who represents District 43 in the state House, said the possibility of closing 11 state parks permanently and 15 during winter months is remote.
"We would figure out a way to keep the parks open, just like we have for the past four years," he said. "We can keep the sky from falling."
Harvey, one of several Douglas County legislators who have come out against Referendum C, is planning to reintroduce a bill from the last session proposing a different way to account for state educational trust fund money.
Every year, $250 million to $300 million is taken out of the general fund for the state educational trust fund, as required by Amendment 23. The removal of the educational trust fund money reduces the amount in the general fund before TABOR calculations are made.
"Amendment 23 has not only raised [K-12] spending every year at the expense of all the other departments, it also brings down the base of the general budget by that much," he said.
Harvey wants to calculate the educational trust fund as part of the general fund, which would not ratchet down the general fund by that amount.
"Which is, coincidentally, what the budget shortfall is for next year - $250 million," he said.
State Sen. Tom Wiens, R-Sedalia, said permanently closing state parks is not going to happen.
"The governor should be ashamed of himself for putting his hardworking state parks service personnel in the position of being pawns in the C and D debate," he said.
Wiens believes the governor's office called Colorado State Parks and asked what would happen if general fund support would be cut, he said. However, it is a false premise to say 50 percent of general fund support for the state parks would be cut because it implies that general fund expenditures are going down by that much.
"Overall, spending will go up regardless of Referendum C not passing," Wiens said. "General fund spending will be somewhere between $6.1 billion and $6.2 billion in 2006, about where it was this year."
Wiens said state parks with operating costs exceeding revenues should be managed as enterprise parks, which would become self sufficient.
"Enterprising Roxborough doesn't mean adding roads and facilities," he said. "Personnel with the parks can manage them and we should let them do so. They should not be used in pawns in this debate. It cheapens the overall level of the debate."
Laverty agreed there isn't a promise that the state parks budget will be slashed nearly by half and said the proposed 2006 budget is a work in progress. Owens' budget planning group may submit something different to state Legislators, who in turn may have a whole different perspective on what they need to balance the budget without a TABOR suspension.
"They may leave parks whole and find the cuts somewhere else," he said. "Or it may be something in between. This is a very preliminary step in the journey."
Colorado State Parks' proposed budget also reduces operating and staffing costs, affecting hours of operation for 13 parks. The opening of three new state parks could also be delayed.
Contact Kiersten J. Mayer at kmayer@ccnewspapers.net.
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