This is a critical time in Gilpin County’s history! We are watching our county change, yet those changes are a surprise to most of us! This is why The Gilpin Light came to be. If we have any chance of keeping our little county rural, with dark skies, low taxes and safe and secure lives, we better WAKE UP!!!!!
Two of our commissioners were bound and determined to put this new tax on our ballot, telling everyone how hard up we are for money for our rec center. Let’s look first at the Rec Center Director’s salary, comparing what that position was paid in 2019 and 2023:
The rec center used to be open seven days a week. Now we pay more and get less! NO MORE MONEY FOR LESS SERVICES!!!!!
And then there is the County Manager position:
These salaries have increased quite a bit since Covid. It is so hypocritical for those in control of our county to raise salaries, hire a bunch of new people, collect more than $31 MILLION in revenues from casinos in two years
AND PUT A NEW TAX ON THE BALLOT THAT NEVER ENDS! THEY HAVE BEEN BUSY TRYING TO SELL IT TO THE PEOPLE WITH THREATS OF CLOSING THE REC CENTER ALTOGETHER, OR REDUCE SERVICE TO THREE DAYS A WEEK, CLOSING THE POOLS FOR 2024, AND REDUCING OUR FAIR TO ONE DAY ONLY!!!!!
All this on the same day (June 13,2023) they voted to build a new food pantry, which has been projected to cost as much as $1.1 million! This is no joke! But they need you to vote for this NEW TAX?
Please pay attention to the decisions being made by our elected officials, and those who have been hired to serve Gilpin County!
THIS IS OUR COUNTY! WE WANT IT TO STAY RURAL! WE WANT TO KEEP OUR TAXES LOW! WE WANT OUR ROADS TO BE MAINTAINED THE WAY THEY USED TO BE! WE WANT TO ENJOY OUR BEAUTIFUL, PEACEFUL MOUNTAIN COMMUNITY! WE MOVED HERE TO GET AWAY FROM IT ALL, BUT NOW IT LOOKS AND FEELS LIKE WE ARE ABOUT TO LOSE IT ALL!
It’s time for people who agree with this blog post to share it with others, and keep reading what we send so that you will know what’s been happening behind the scenes.
Together, we can stop this tax, make sure our commissioners’ actions are shared county wide, and organize our members to let them know if we don’t like their ideas. They work for us! Let’s remind them of that.
SAY NO TO 1A! Bullying us is not a good look in this county. We should be working together to protect and preserve this special place, and hand it down to our children and grandchildren!
Are you with me?!?
Thank you for reading, researching and sharing the light!
Donna Okray Parman
Founder, The Gilpin Light
thegilpinlight@gmail.com
Email the Commissioners
Bypass lengthy voice commands by these extension numbers as soon as the system answers. It will connect you to the Commissioner's voicemail.
Marie Mornis extension - 11101
Sandy Hollingsworth extension - 11103
Susan Berumen extension - 11102
