Open Space Budget for 2013

Sales tax revenue for 2013 is projected at 4% more than the actual revenue in 2011. The operating budget remains the same as 2012, plus small increases in cost allocations for County provided services. The budgeting for acquisitions was reduced by $1,000,000 and transferred to development to be used as matching funds for the GOCO Clear Creek grant. The acquisition budget also is reduced by $1,000,000 in 2014 and 2015, in order to have the match for the GOCO grant. Development budgets, other than the Clear Creek trail, were reduced to $340,000 in 2013, $240,000 in 2014, and $200,000 in 2015. Obviously if the sales tax revenue increases by more than the anticipated annual 2%, more will be available for either acquisitions or development. The acquisitions budget for each of these three years is $2.2 million.

Line items in the budget include:

Bond Service $12.94 million

Operations $10.52 million

Acquisitions $2.2 million

Leases $0.06 million

Grants $1.22 million

Development $1.74 million

(Clear Creek $1.4 million)

(Misc $0.34 million)

Total $28.88 million

Note that the only major development planned in 2013 relates to the Clear Creek Trail. Some 2012 projects will be completed in 2013 using funds budgeted in 2012. These include natural surface trail from Reynolds Park to the Colorado Trail; a restroom at the Elk Meadow Dog Off-Leash Park; trailhead, parking lot, and restroom at the Quaker Street entry to South Table Mountain; complete improvements at Crown Hill; trailhead, parking lot, and restroom at Apex; restrooms at Matthews Winters, Mt Falcon west, and Windy Saddle; and water well at the White Ranch campground.

The bond payments will remain at $13 million through 2019, in 2020 about $6 million more becomes available. JCOS has a goal is to find $5 million in grants to supplement the budget during the next three years.