The 2015 Larimer County Community Report summarizes how you benefit, directly and indirectly, from the services Larimer County provides as well as how Larimer County measures the performance of some of those services.
A HIGH-LEVEL OVERVIEW OF COUNTY SERVICES, GOALS AND PERFORMANCE
www.larimer.org
STRATEGIC PLAN
LETTER FROM THE COMMISSIONERS
Vision: Larimer County is a thriving, friendly place where people of all ages, cultures, and economic backgrounds live, work, play and most of all, call home.
Welcome to our second annual Community Report! One of our most important respon- sibilities as Commissioners is ensuring the most efficient use of the tax revenue the County receives through property and voter- approved sales taxes. In these pages you’ll learn about the value you receive for your tax dollars through various performance measures and explanations of how we’re implementing efficiencies in the services we provide. Our job is to make sure you get the best value and results. We believe you
Goal 1: Safety and Well-Being Goal 2: Economic Development Goal 3: Emergency Management Goal 4: Transportation
Goal 5: Collaborate Goal 6: Operations Goal 7: Customer Service Learn more and check out our progress at Larimer.org/strategicplan .
deserve this information and hope it is use- ful. Contact us at bocc@larimer.org or visit us online at larimer.org/bcc. (from left) Lew Gaiter III, District I; Steve Johnson, District II; Tom Donnelly, District III
Issue 1-A: Help Preserve Open Space tax extension, .25 of one percent sales tax extended to 2043 Issue 1-B: Extension of a .15 of one percent sales tax for the operation of the Larimer County Jail through 2039
ELECTED OFFICIALS
80% YES
70% YES
Steve Miller Assessor
Angela Myers Clerk & Recorder
James A. Wilkerson IV M.D. Coroner
Cliff Riedel District Attorney
Justin Smith Sheriff
Chad Washburn Surveyor
Irene Josey Treasurer
LETTER FROM THE COUNTY MANAGER
2015 BUDGET SUMMARY HOW THE MONEY IS SPENT Public Safety Services: 30% Human & Economic Services: 26% Community Resources, Infrastructure and Planning: 25% Strategic Leadership & Administration: 13% Public Records & Information Services: 6% Total Operating Budget: $225M WHERE THE MONEY COMES FROM Internal Charges, Sale of Assets & Transfers: 32% Property Taxes: 24% Federal, State & Municipal Revenue: 20% Sales and Use Taxes: 11% Charges for Services (External): 9%
6%
Larimer County strives to provide excellent ser- vice to the 324,000 plus residents of the County. Whether you live in a
13%
30%
25%
city, town or unincorporated area, the County contributes to your quality of life by providing a wide variety of services we’ve categorized into five major areas. In this report you’ll find a quick summary of those major areas, learn what we do and find some of the performance outcomes of that work. We hope the report will spark your interest and feedback to help us serve you better. Please let me know what you think at lhoffmann@larimer.org.
26%
2% 1% 1%
The County keeps only
9%
of the total you pay in property taxes, the rest goes to schools, cities, and special districts. 26%
32%
11%
Use of Fund Balance: 2% Licenses and Permits: 1%
20%
Interest Earnings and All Other: 1% Total Revenue – All Sources*: $390M * Includes transfers between departments and non-operational government funds
24%
Linda Hoffmann County Manager (970) 498-7004 (direct)
COMMUNITY RESOURCES, INFRASTRUCTURE & PLANNING SERVICES QUALITY INFRASTRUCTURE, CONSCIENTIOUS PLANNING
RETHINKING THE FINANCIALS OF RECYCLING While the amount that Larimer County residents recycle has steadily increased, the revenue the County receives from selling recycled materials has declined significantly. The market for recycled materials like cardboard, plastic, newspaper and metal quickly dried up as the global economy slowed. Even with a rebounding economy, the County will likely have to re- evaluate landfill and recycling fees. HOW MUCH WE RECYCLE REVENUE FROM RECYCLING RECYCLING COST TO COUNTY
The markets will not purchase materials with high contamination rates, which are caused by items such as greasy pizza boxes, unrinsed bottles, and including materials not KEEP IT CLEAN AND SORTED
$1.1M
$779K
38K TONS
36K TONS
suitable for recycling. What can you recycle? larimer.org/ solidwaste/recycling.htm
$248K
$246K
2011 2014
2011 2014
2011 2014
SERVICES • Building Inspections • Community Planning and Development • County Parks and Trails • Engineering • Landfill and Solid Waste Management • Open Spaces • Road and Bridge Maintenance and Repair • Rural Lands • The Ranch
Home building has re- bounded in the unincor- porated areas of Larimer County. In the first quarter of 2015, the County issued more building permits than in any first quarter in the last 10 years.
THE RANCH :
94% Portion of 2014 operating expenses covered by visitor fees to Horsetooth, Carter Lake, Pinewood and Flatiron Reservoirs and other park areas.
MORE THAN HOCKEY & HORSES! The Ranch hosted the start of Stage 6 of the 2013 and 2015 USA Pro Challenge, a 7-day cycling stage race and one of Colorado’s premier international events. As a co- ordinating member of the NoCo partnership, the Ranch welcomes 130 of the finest athletes in the world and the opportunity to showcase northern Colorado to the world.
TRANSPORTATION REPORT CARD 2014 Road condition grades reflect how well pavement surfaces are maintained. Safety grades are based on crash rates for a particular segment of road. For more information on roadway performance measures check out the Transportation Report Card at larimer.org/roads .
PAVED ROAD CONDITIONS
SAFETY RATINGS
318,348 HOT DOGS
= A
= A
= B
Number sold at The Ranch since the doors opened in 2003. If you lined them up end to end, they would stretch all the way from The Ranch complex to Denver!
= B
= C
= C = D
= D
=
=
PUBLIC RECORDS AND INFORMATION SERVICES
OPEN DATA, TRANSPARENT PROCESSES
VEHICLE TITLES & LICENSING
SERVICES • Birth and Death Certificates • Elections and Voter Registration • Marriage Licenses • Property Value Assessment and Tax Collection • Public Records • Vehicle Registration
The Vehicle Licensing Division of the Clerk and Recorder’s office handles everything from titling motor vehicles, manufactured homes and ATVs, to issuing Persons With Disabilities Placards, completing title changes/updates and license plate replacements and renewals. Nearly every adult citizen in the county will interact with this department at least once if not multiple times each year. With population growth and an improving economy comes an increase in transactions. Compared to 2011, Motor Vehicles assisted approximately 130 more people each day in 2014.
TOTAL TRANSACTIONS:
500,742
461,539
459,456
446,205
2011
2012
2013
2014
CIVIL UNIONS & MARRIAGE LICENSES
PROPERTY APPRAISALS
Larimer County began issuing Civil Union licenses on May 1, 2013, and issued 143 that year. The County began issuing same- sex marriage licenses on October 6, 2014.
112 SAME-SEX MARRIAGE LICENSES
Property in Larimer County is assessed every two years based on changes in the real estate market, and new valuations were released in 2015. While values didn’t change much during the 2013 assessment, this time property values increased noticeably for payments in 2016.
2,934 TRADITIONAL
The most used County communication source by participants in the 2015 citizen survey is larimer.org ; over 75% had used the site and 90% found it useful.
MARRIAGE LICENSES
49 CIVIL UNION LICENSES
2014
2014
2014
STRATEGIC LEADERSHIP, ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICES
ENGAGED SERVICE, EFFICIENT GOVERNMENT
CONFIDENCE IN LARIMER COUNTY GOVERNMENT Any county resident can take the Larimer County 101 program to learn about county services and their benefits. Participants are asked to rate their level of confidence in Larimer County government at the beginning and end of the LC 101 series of classes. On average, confidence levels increase by .90 points.
CONFIDENCE LEVEL
SERVICES • Budgeting • Human Resources • Finance • County Attorney • Performance Measurement • Strategic Planning
3.5 4.0 3.8 BEFORE
4.9 4.6 4.5 AFTER
(.60 INCREASE) (.70 INCREASE)
(1.40 INCREASE)
1=LOW CONFIDENCE, 5=HIGH CONFIDENCE (.90 INCREASE) 4.7 3.8
EXCELLENCE IN FINANCIAL REPORTING The County’s annual financial report has won a Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for 31 consecutive years and counting! The certificate goes to local governments who publish comprehensive, easily readable, and efficiently organized annual reports. The annual report includes an audit of the County’s financial statements by a private firm of Certified Public Accountants. See these reports at larimer.org/finance.
NEW COUNTY BUILDING The County is collaborating to consolidate its Loveland offices into a new building that will bring together human services, health, motor vehicle, and the workforce center with the potential for including court related offices. The new County building in Loveland is expected to be open in 2017.
PUBLIC SAFETY SERVICES SAFE COMMUNITIES, IMPARTIAL JUSTICE
Criminal Justice Services Division’s alternative sentencing options focus on public safety, mental health and substance abuse treatment and decreasing criminal behavior, which reduces dependence on the County Jail and State prisons. The daily, per-offender cost of Alternative Sentencing programs is about one-third of the cost of incarceration in the County Jail. In 2014, Criminal Justice Services options diverted an average of 604 jail and prison incarcerations per day. ALTERNATIVE SENTENCING
ALTERNATIVE SENTENCING: 250 • Alternative Sentencing Programs (Work Release, Electronic Home Detention, Workenders/Midweeks) • Pretrial Services COMMUNITY CORRECTIONS : 354 • Residential, Treatment, and Community Supervision Programs • AIIM/Wellness Court JAIL & PRISON BEDS SAVED PER DAY
SERVICES • Alternative Sentencing • Community Corrections • Crime Statistics & Reporting • District Attorney • Emergency Management • Investigations • Coroner • Jail • Rural Patrol • Wildland Fire Management • Disaster Recovery
Community Corrections clients grow and sell produce to benefit nonprofits.
REDUCING REPEAT OFFENDERS: WELLNESS COURT
Community Corrections Programs such as Alternatives to Incarceration for Individuals with Mental Health Needs (AIIM) and Wellness Court, help to reduce jail time for repeat offenders with mental health issues. The AIIM Program provides offenders with intensive supervision, mental health treatment and assistance with basic needs. Wellness Court (initiated in 2014) works to reduce the rate of re-offending by supporting long-term mental health recovery.
2013 FLOODING Larimer County continues to fix roads and assess floodplain rules as part of the ongoing re- covery efforts.
ONGOING FIRE & FLOOD RECOVERY
102
MILES OF ROAD DAMAGED 38 MILES OPEN/TEMPORARY REPAIRS 64 MILES OPEN/PERMANENT REPAIRS .5 MILE STILL CLOSED
HIGH PARK FIRE Nearly three years after the High Park Fire burned 87,200 acres in Larimer County,
recovery still continues. The County’s Rebuild Program extended reduced de-
259
417 217
PROPERTIES DESTROYED OR DAMAGED
velopment fees and clean-up deadlines through July 30, 2017. For details call 970-498-7692.
HOMES DESTROYED
51 HOMES REBUILT
26 IN THE
BUILDING PERMITS ISSUED
PROCESS OF REBUILDING
BEING PREPARED : THE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT In 2015, the County adopted a new Emergency Management Plan to better prepare our community for disastrous events. Sign up for community alerts and incidents at leta911.org. Download the new Emergency Preparedness Guide at larimer.org/emergency.
The Sheriff’s Office volun- teer programs uses 415 volunteers who logged about 48,000 hours in 2014. That means they provided over $1.2 million SHERIFF’S VOLUNTEERS
FRAUD & IDENTITY THEFT
District Attorney Cliff Riedel utilizes a Community Per- spectives Committee, which meets quarterly to discuss law enforcement and pros- ecution issues. The com- mittee has a diverse group of participants geographi- cally representing the en- tire county.
The District Attorney pros- ecutes cases brought by all Larimer County law enforce- ments agencies.
276 Identity Theft cases prosecuted
801 All types of fraud cases prosecuted
in services at no cost to taxpayers.
$1.2M
HUMAN AND ECONOMIC SERVICES HEALTHY PEOPLE, THRIVING ECONOMY
SUPPORTING SELF-SUFFICIENCY
SERVICES • Adult Protective Services • Air Quality Monitoring and Education • Child Care Assistance • Child Protection and Foster Care • Child Support • Communicable Disease Control • Extension Office • Food Stamps/Food Assistance • Health Education • Immunizations • Medicaid
The Larimer County Workforce Center and the Department of Human Services collaboratively serve families receiving Temporary Assistance for Needy Families. A central component of transitioning to self-sufficiency is the Workforce Center Works Program. Works participants receive the message that they can take charge of their future and discover their path to employment and a career. In 2014, nearly 35% of participants obtained employment through assistance from the Works Program. FAMILIES SERVED 2014 1,400 2013
Larimer County helped ap- proximately 1,300 low-in- come families by subsidizing childcare making it possible for parents to work outside the home and contribute to the overall wellbeing of our local economy.
1,279 2012 1,088
• Resources for Seniors • Restaurant Inspections
2011 1,021
• Temporary Assistance for Needy Families • Water Quality Regulation and Inspection • Workforce Training and Counseling
DEVELOPING YOUTH The Larimer County Conservation Corps (LCCC) promotes individual development through service for the benefit of the environment and community. Through conservation-based projects and environmental education, the LCCC empowers participants (youth ages 14–24) to become environmental stewards, while developing self-sufficiency and skills to help them become productive members of the community. 2014 SPOTLIGHT : WATER & ENERGY PROGRAM Corps members assisted 850 Fort Collins and Loveland households in reducing their water and energy use through home assessments and providing recommendations.
HELP SENIORS STAY IN THEIR HOMES The Senior Tax Work-Off Program allows seniors to reduce the bur- den of their property tax bill by temporarily working for Larimer County. The program allows people age 60 and over the op- portunity to work off up to $400 of the Larimer County portion of their property tax bill. larimer.org/seniors $22,500
With 1,100 individuals, Larimer County has the most 4-H club members of any county across the state. In recent years, more than 4,800 4-H exhibits were entered annually at the County Fair.
TOTAL CREDIT EARNED BY SENIORS IN THE 2014 PROGRAM
STAY ENGAGED LARIMER.ORG/BOCC • Monthly Informal Commissioner Citizen Meetings
Ginny Riley, Human Services, Northern CO Women of Distinction Gov. Category and Live United Community Collaboration Award , United Way Sharon Winfree, Criminal Justice, 37th Annual Judge Conrad L Ball Award Avie Strand, Community Health & Environment, McKee Community Health Award
Deni LaRue, Community at Work radio show, 1st Place CO Broadcasters Awards of Excellence Community Report, ‘Superior’ Award of Excellence , National Assoc. of County Information Officers Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting ,
Earl Fawcett, Sheriff’s Deputy, Sally Henze Memorial Award Debbie Pierson, Veterans Services, Outstanding Work for Veterans award , 101st Airborne Division Association Department of Human Services, C-Stat Distinguished Performance , CO Department of Human Services
• Boards and Commissions • LC 101 - Citizen Academy • Public Meetings • Subscriptions
Government Finance Officers Association
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