Weld County Home Rule Charter
Investing in community and building for tomorrow, making the idea a reality
The justice center project will be the largest financial responsibility the county has taken on in its 165-year history. Being mindful of the Weld County Home Rule Charter, specifically Section 14-8, the board has identified three separate projects that will allow this plan to move forward in compliance with the charter.
The board has determined the three projects will be:
- the justice center parking garage
- the justice center "core and shell," which is the exterior portion and the infrastructure of the building
- tenant improvements, which will be the internal finishing of the building
Each of these projects allows for "off ramps" should they be needed by future boards in response to economic conditions or other county influences. These projects also provide different opportunities for bidding on each project in order to obtain the best price for taxpayers.
Weld County Home Rule Charter
Section 14-8. - Limitation of Capital Expenditures.
Any one project, except hospital projects, requiring a capital expenditure out of funds procured by ad valorem taxation equal to a three mill levy for three years, or a hospital project requiring a capital expenditure from ad valorem tax funds equal to a three mill levy for three years, shall be prohibited until such time as the question of expenditure of said funds shall have been first submitted to a vote of the qualified electors at a general or special election and shall have received a majority vote approving such expenditure.
The Home Rule Charter (Section 14-8) allows for a capital expenditure of any one project that uses taxpayer funds if it is less than the ad valorem taxation equal to a three mill levy for three years, or approximately $177 million per project.
Staying within the guidelines of the charter, the county has identified the three distinct projects, with the conclusion of each project allowing future boards of commissioners the opportunity to reexamine or adjust project needs and progress as necessary. This also allows flexibility for future boards to be able to react responsibly to economic conditions and demands that may arise. Each project allows the county to have a completed asset and is the same methodology used for county projects in the past, including the building of Weld County Road 49 in 2017, and the Weld County Jail expansion from 2019 to 2021.
By identifying these projects, the board continues to use a process that has served the county taxpayers well in the past and will continue to do so in the future.