LTE from K. Joy Anderson addressed to
Custer county Clerk Kelley Camper
Response to County Attorney Memo
on Precinct Redrawing
See pdf here 011924 pg 22
Category Archives: Uncategorized
2024 WMVSC Stampede Royalty
Press Release
Nicole Koch
Wet Mountain Valley Saddle Club
Wet Mountain Valley Stampede
Courtesy Photo: Sagebrush Souls Photography
Rodeo Royalty is a wonderful opportunity for young girls to gain experience and grow in many aspects of life, including public speaking and appearance, organizing events, fundraising, serving our community, representing an organization, making connections with others, and so many more valuable tools they can use in their lives.
Courtesy Photo: Sagebrush Souls Photography
Our vision for this program is to provide opportunities that prepare these young ladies for life with wise guidance, to truly become involved in and serve our community, and to encourage as many young women as possible to help preserve the sport of rodeo through clinics, events and scholarships.
Thank you for your support in this program and if you would like to become involved, please contact Nicole Koch at 719-371-8897.
Jan 10th BOCC: Tax Mil Levy, County CC’s, Day Continues as Chair
BOCC: A Small Property Tax Mill Levy
Reduction, Bank Shuts Down the County’s Credit Cards, Day Continues as Chair
by George Gramlich,
News and Commentary
The January 10, 2024 Custer County Board of County Commissioners (BOCC) meeting started at 9 a.m. in the Commissioners’ Office. All three Commissioners were present: Chair Kevin Day and members Bill Canda and Lucas Epp.
In Unfinished Business, Epp gave the status on hiring a consultant to help with the 2022 audit issues and keep the Finance Department running until the BOCC hires a new Finance Director. Epp said the consultants he contacted were in the $200k range (yearly salary) and that was too much. He is continuing to look. Canda mentioned that local, Len Arrigo, a CPA was available.
In a disturbing development, Epp said that Kirkpatrick Bank “has shut down” the county’s credit cards due to late payments. Epp said that the county has been paying late payment and interest fees every month for 2023. (Later on, Epp mentioned that those penalties cost the county around $6,000 last year!) Epp said,
“It was our fault” as the county was not paying the bill on time as the county’s departments were not paying their portion of the bill or paying it late. Plus, the Accounts Payable cycle happens at the end of the month and that was causing delays. (It looks like the Finance Department, under ex Finance Director Braden Wilson,
completely dropped the ball on this. Your local bank freezing the county’s credit cards is like, really bad. Total Clown Show.) Epp said he is going to fix this.
First item in New Business was Adopting the 2024 County Budget. Vernon Roth, the county’s IT Director, had taken over the task of assembling the budget since we have no Finance Director. (Vernon has done an outstanding job on this. He has worked day and night, six or seven days a week to get this done. And it ain’t his job. Thanks, Vernon.)
The big gorilla in the room was what are the Commissioners going to do to the General Fund mill levy rate to reduce the big property tax increases. With the huge 2023 statewide property evaluations sky high, land owners are facing huge property tax increases across the state. The two biggest taxing districts in the county are the school and the county. (The school had already lowered their mill rate to save us money.) The big question is will the BOCC lower the General Fund mill levy?
It appears that during the recent BOCC Budget Workshops, the Commissioners had proposed lowering the rate from 10.425 mills to 9.75 mills. Vernon stated that this caused a bit of discussion from the Commissioners because it seemed to not be a lot. Canda stated that there were various county departments that could not be touched (like Road & Bridge and Human Resources) so the only arena where the Commissioners could really reduce anything was the General Fund. Canda said the mill reduction would only reduce the tax for each parcel in the county by $8 (Eight Dollars). He said there are about 9,000 parcels in the county and most of them were taxable. The discussion went on for a while with Day stating that he wasn’t sure this small reduction was worth the hassle, but he was not opposed to it. (the reduction is temporary, for one year.) All three Commissioners voted to approve the budget.
There was an issue with the timing of deciding the county’s budget before the BOCC actually voted on the Resolution for Setting the County Mill Levies as that Agenda Item was AFTER the Budget Agenda Item. Somehow, the Board thought that doing mill levy change after the Budget was okay.
Finally the Resolution to Set the County Mill Levies came up. The Commissioners basically repeated a lot of what they had previously said during the Budget discussion. The General Fund one-year General Fund rate reduction to 9.75 mills (from 10.425) was approved unanimously.
Later, the County Government Appointments Item came up. The only item of interest was who was going to be the BOCC Chair for 2024. Newcomer Epp made a surprise move saying to Day that if Day didn’t want to do it, he would like to be Chair. This got Day dancing around with Epp with Day stating he would like to continue as Chair but if Epp really wanted it, Day would step aside. Then Epp said if Day really wanted it, he would back off. Day then noted that Epp was real busy with the Finance Department meltdown and being Chair is a fair amount of work.
Canda finally said he was fine with Day continuing as Chair. All three finally voted for Day to continue as Chair.
BOCC Special Meeting – Human Resources Hiring
BOCC Special Meeting:
Human Resources Hiring
by George Gramlich, News
The Custer County Board of County Commissioners held a Special Meeting, January 8, 2024 to select the new Human Resources (HR) Director. All three Commissioners were present: Chair Kevin Day and members Bill Canda and Lucas Epp.
Day opened with the statement that they had selected three finalists for the position.
Epp then took the stage. He said the new HR Department has to be built “from the ground up.” There are kinds of issues to be addressed such as procedures, reporting, etc., “so the new guy has a big task load.” Epp then stated, “the applications we have received don’t represent what I think is needed to build a new department from the ground up.” Epp continued, “We need to caste our net further” noting that maybe we should have a salary range rather than a fixed advertised salary.
Canda disagreed. He said, “I think we have a candidate that does meet the criteria,” but noted he would not be against doing some more advertising.
Then it was Day’s turn, “There is one of the three that I can support, but, they would need additional help to succeed.” Day said he “shared your concerns, it is a big load. I would support putting it out for bid…. I don’t want to set somebody up for failure.”
This discussion went on for a bit. Finally, the Commissioners decided to put the job out for bid for an additional two weeks and try to find more outlets to advertise it.
The next and last Agenda Item was where to put the HR office. After a lot of talk, it was decided to put the office in the BOCC’s building. Some renovations would be necessary.
For more information on open county positions see https://www.custercounty-co.gov/employment
Job Description Summary
The Director of Finance and Accounting for Custer County
The Director of Finance and Accounting for Custer County, Colorado, is responsible for overseeing the county’s financial systems and operations, including managing accounting records, preparing financial reports, and ensuring compliance with auditing and accounting standards. This role involves supervising the finance department, monitoring departmental budgets, and acting as a financial advisor to the County Commissioners and other officials. The director also plays a key role in developing and administering the county’s budget and capital improvement plans, while ensuring efficient financial internal controls and compliance with local, state, and federal regulations. For the full description click here.
Applications are available at:
https://www.custercounty-co.gov/employment or
Custer County Finance & Human Resources Department
205 S 6th Street
Westcliffe, CO 81252
Monday through Thursday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm
Please submit applications to the address above or
email: hr@custercounty-co.gov
Bill Canda Statements
The Sentinel received an LTE rebuttal letter sent to KRDO from Bill Canda and a Statement from Commissioner Bill Canda. Both are below
Letter to the Editor
—December 26, 2023
RE: Article by KRDO Channel 13 printed on December 13, 2023
On December 19, 2023, KRDO Channel 13 ran a story prompted by a spurious criminal complaint filed by the Editor of the Wet Mountain Tribune accusing me of forgery. This article is not true and publication by KRDO is irresponsible.
On August 23, 2023, the Custer County Finance Director issued Braden Wilson a check for $30,451.18. The gross amount of the check net of taxes was approximately $55,000. Wilson was on the job for less than a week when his position was eliminated by the newly seated Board of County Commissioners (BOCC). On August 25, 2023, I tried to stop payment of the check to give the BOCC time to resolve the improprieties surrounding its issuance.
It is important to note that by law, only the BOCC has the fiduciary responsibility to spend the citizens (taxpayers) money. They must personally verify every check issued for all expenditures. Also, it is important to note the two issues with the Wilson payment: 1) unresolved problems concerning the legitimacy of his employment contract, and 2) the legitimacy of the issuance of the check itself.
It was critical that the newly seated BOCC determine whether the check was a legitimate expense, and as importantly if valid, the expense was reviewed and approved by the BOCC as required by Colorado Law. There are several reasons why this check should not have been issued:
1. The pay calculation was never verified or checked by a person other than the person who calculated and issued the check. There were errors.
2. The check was issued by the Director of Finance without approval by the BOCC. The check contains a pre-printed signature of the County Clerk attesting that the Commissioner’s signature on the check is valid. It was stamped in error with the Chairman’s signature and directly issued without the knowledge of either the Clerk, the Commissioner or the BOCC.
3. I tried to stop payment on the check when I discovered it had been released without Board approval. My intent was to ensure that the payment was valid, and the calculations were correct. Additionally, standard practice would be to issue two different checks; one for time worked and one for severance pay.
Commissioners have signature authority for all county checks. The BOCC never approved the Wilson check. Therefore, I have authority to stop the payment of the check. The County Treasurer overrode my stop payment order and directed the bank to pay the check anyway. The law does not permit this. The Treasurer’s action precluded the County Commission from being able to perform its fiduciary duty to the county.
I believe the criminal complaint Hedberg filed is completely unlawful and frivolous because the reason I tried to stop payment of the Wilson check was to ensure the matter could be resolved according to law. Hedberg’s actions were irresponsible, and his complaint is unfounded.
William R. (Bill) Canda
Custer County Commissioner
###
A Statement from Commissioner Canda Regarding the
Criminal Compliant Filed by Hedberg Against Canda:
1. I believe it is completely unlawful and a frivolous, expensive and misguided misuse of our justice system that a criminal complaint be filed for the legitimate actions taken by me while exercising my responsibility as a county commissioner to fiducially protect our county. What Jordan Hedberg did, by inserting himself into the story by filing the complaint, then involving KRDO Channel 13 to spread his errant opinions, was irresponsible and probably criminal. Allegations this serious warranted a thorough, unbiased investigation.
2. Jordan Hedberg has inserted himself into a story he created to damage my reputation and to cost our government time and money for no other reason than his own irrational hatred. By filing this complaint against my actions, which were not only lawful, but necessary, he has been irresponsible and expensive at best, probably criminal. By involving KRDO to spread false information, his misdeeds have been multiplied and unlawful.
3. It is an affront to the profession of journalism to leap to conclusions just because, at first glance, the reporter’s biases are confirmed. This shoddy practice is why thinking people no longer trust the media, and why confusion and division reign. Jordan Hedberg and KRDO should know better.
Note: Regarding the Validity of the Wilson Contract:
It is not for me nor the BOCC to determine the validity of the Wilson Contract. It is a question that only a court of law, a judge, can determine. If the payment of the check had been stopped, Braden Wilson would have had to prove it was a legal contract. Trujillo shifted the burden to the county to prove it wasn’t—at significant cost to the citizens of the county.
###
Free Public Forum on Education January 18
Press Release
The Education Legacy Fund and The West Custer County Library
Free Moderated Panel to Explore Education Opportunities
The Education Legacy Fund and the West Custer County Library are co-sponsoring a Public Forum on Education in the Valley on Thursday, January 18, 2024. The Forum will start at 5 p.m. at All Aboard Westcliffe Heritage Center (located at 110 Rosita Avenue in Westcliffe.)
The Public Forum will have a moderated panel to explore education options, opportunities, obstacles and solutions. The panel will consist of educators and community members acting as moderators, with questions and participation invited from the audience.
The Public Forum is free and everyone is welcome to attend – teachers, students, parents, educators, homeschoolers, church schoolers, and anyone interested in lifelong learning. Refreshments will be served.
Roger Camper Retires After Many Years of Service
by Fred Hernandez
All good things come to an end and for Silver Cliff town, one definitely “good thing”, officially came to an end at the end of November with the retirement of one who served not only Silver Cliff with distinction, but the entire community of Custer County. Yes, it was the retirement of Roger Camper who joined the town of Silver Cliff in June of 2010. For more than a decade Roger unselfishly served the people of the town as the Building and Zoning Officer and often helped in other tasks as needed.
On November 30th, the town celebrated his retirement with Roger, and his wife Pam, at the local Mexican restaurant Imperio Azteca. Town Clerk Ileen Squire had prepared several gifts for him which he unwrapped to the delight of everyone present. With about thirty guests in attendance, Roger enjoyed the warm friendship and gratitude they offered as well as appreciation for his service from town trustees Jake Shy, Troy Bomgardner and this writer. Silver Cliff town Mayor Harry “Buck” Wenzel expressed his sincerest appreciation, not only of the years of serving the town, but the cordial friendship he shares with Roger. The mayor’s statement embodies what everyone felt when he said and we quote:
“The Town of Silver Cliff will never forget the amazing dedication, care and countless contributions that Mr. Camper gave to our town, its residents and builders during his career with us. His skills, abilities and historical knowledge were second to none. We wish him the best in his retirement and will miss his energetic, positive and “can-do” attitude!”
We recall, for the record, one truly remarkable achievement of Roger as Building and Zoning officer of the town was the extensive and complex work done on the town’s museum. The original building was erected in 1879 and was in dire need of refurbishment. Through Rogers continuous efforts at research and his broad knowledge of construction and building materials he painstakingly found the modern day equivalents of the materials needed, and necessarily approved by the Historical Society, to bring the ancient building back to its new life span of another century. In addition, the museum now has a nice pavilion and an area where visitors can rest and recreate.
Indeed Roger’s contri-bution not only to Silver Cliff but to the county as a whole goes back to his days of pioneering the establishment of what is now the Wet Mountain Fire District. His tireless efforts as a one man fundraising committee, countless hours
of hard work and single minded determination to create what is now one of the best fire fighting organizations in southwest Colorado. Roger will conceivably always be remembered as the “father” of the Custer County Fire Department.
We wish Roger all the very best in his retirement; that he may have all the time he needs to enjoy his family and we pray for his good health and happiness always.
And so, until we meet again, the town of Silver Cliff wishes Roger a fond ‘adieu” and may God be with you in all your future endeavors.
High Mountain Hay Fever Bluegrass Festival Tickets on Sale
Music will ring out across the Wet Mountain Valley at the 21st High Mountain Hay Fever Bluegrass Festival in July in the heart of the Rockies.
Come enjoy stunning views of the Sangre de Cristo Mountains, the youth music program, the camaraderie of on-site camping and pickin’ in addition to a full roster of exciting bluegrass performers. The festival dates are Thursday – Sunday, July 11 – 14, 2024, at The Bluff Park in Westcliffe, Colorado.
We are excited to announce Jim Lauderdale as our featured performer this year. He has won two Grammys, released 36 full-length albums, and taken home the Americana Music Association’s coveted Wagonmaster Award, along with being a great performer. The line-up also features our festival host, the always entertaining Dry Branch Fire Squad. Other acts scheduled to appear are Ralph Stanley II and the Clinch Mountain Boys, Laurie Lewis and the Right Hands, Valerie Smith & Liberty Pike, Jim Gaudet and the Railroad Boys, Wilder Flower, Mike Mitchell Band, My Brother’s Keeper, Fog Holler, Red Mountain Boys, Orchard Creek, Abigail Gardner, and Heidi Clare and Ron Thomason. Many of these performers will also conduct workshops throughout the weekend, which will afford festival-goers the opportunity to experience the performers in a more intimate setting. Dancers are welcome Friday and Saturday night in the workshop venue. And don’t forget the popular High Mountain Hayseeds – bring the kids and their instruments!
High Mountain Hay Fever is also the best deal in bluegrass. Four-Day Passes are only $100 (before 6/1), $120 (after 6/1), and $130 (at the gate). Single day ticket prices are $25 for Thursday evening, $60 for Friday, $60 for Saturday, and $40 for Sunday. Student daily admission (13-18 with student ID) is $10. Children under 12 are free. Tickets are on sale on our website: www.highmountainhayfever.org. Camping is available adjacent to the festival grounds. Please see https://highmountainhayfever.org/plan-your-visit/camping/ to view the new process in selecting your campsite.
The festival is a nonprofit effort to enhance the Wet Mountain Valley as a quality event destination that benefits the entire community. The festival has raised over $850,000 for Wet Mountain Valley charitable organizations over the years of its existence, with a strong focus on children’s health. The High Mountain Hay Fever Festival Association is a non-profit organization run by a great group of volunteers who work year-round to make the festival happen. The festival remains an intimate event, avoiding the sprawl and congestion of large festivals while offering nationally recognized bluegrass talent, remaining true to its motto: “Small Scale, Big Time”.
For information contact us at www.highmountainhayfever.org.
BOCC Dec 12: Epp Folds then Finance Director Quits
BOCC Finance Director Clown Show:
Epp Folds and Then Bivins Goes Bye Bye!
Can We Finally Now Get a Qualified Director?
by George Gramlich,
News and Commentary
What goes around, comes around, I guess. The Finance Director/Failed Audit saga was the subject of the December 12, 2023 Custer County Board of County Commissioners’ meeting and it did not disappoint. But, unknowing to our beloved Commissioners, an earthquake was going to happen the next day that upset the plans of two of the all knowing Commissioners.
All three Commissioners were at the meeting: Chair Kevin Day and members Bill Canda and Lucas Epp. The meeting eventually covered the posting of the job of Finance Director (which Canda and Epp had already voted to do a few weeks ago but it never happened). Also, much time was spent on the 2022 audit failings, the actual job description/duties of the Finance Director, and the functions of the Finance Department itself.
[The two main issues were the job qualifications for the Finance Director and the failed audit. The Finance Director oversees a county budget of around $9 million a year and a whole bunch of departments. The prior director, Braden Wilson, had virtually no accounting experience and did not have an accounting degree. The current Finance Director, Lisa Bivins, has some basic
bookkeeping experience (based on comments made in BOCC meetings) but no accounting degree. Canda, and to a certain extent Epp, have been pushing to hire a new Finance Director with at least an accounting degree with some serious experience. They would move Bivins back to Assistant Finance Director. Apparently, the new assistant Bivins recently hired also does not have any serious
accounting background. So, the county has gone years without any experienced accountant running the ship. Why we keep
hiring people with no or little real accounting knowledge is a question that nobody is asking.]
Canda opened the meeting stating that he had re-searched four counties, some larger than us and one smaller, about the job qualifications for their Finance Directors. He said every one has a real accountant at the helm and they all require an accounting degree.
Canda then got into the 2022 audit mess problems and the upcoming deadline dates that the county has to meet re fixing the issues. Canda said he spoke with our auditor, Sam DiNardo, about the big three issues, missing leases, adjustment journal entries, and G/L reconciliation.
Canda stated our annual audit usually costs around $45k. He also said that DiNardo could help us fix the issues but that might compromise the auditor’s independence. Putting that aside, Canda said DiNardo was willing to come in and help us fix the problems for a paltry $72k (which is supposedly a discounted price).
Finishing, Canda moved to hire a new Finance Director using the new job description. He proposed a salary range of $80k to $90k. Epp then talked a bit and after that Canda handed out the Finance Department Director job descriptions of the four counties he had researched. (Each one required an accounting degree.) He suggested the county brings in a CPA level consultant to help fix the problems as it might take a long time to find a qualified candidate.
Epp then added that there is an accounting firm that specializes in the government finance issues and we might be able to use them. He then segued to the possibility of getting a new accounting system as the current one, CIC, has been a problem.
Day then spoke saying he wanted somebody to come in and “look us over” and see “where we are”.
Epp then got into the time it will take to get a new Finance Director and that could be a problem. Epp said the salary range he was looking at for the job was $60k to $75k. He then talked about posting the Finance Director’s now and keeping it posted to the end of February.
Canda then again stated that the “bottom line is the county needs an accountant/CPA. We know we need a new Finance Director”.
Even with the failed audit, the poorly performing accounting system, and the failure of the last two non-accountant Finance Directors to make any progress on these major issues, Day said he needed more data before making that call. He said, “ I disagree with the fact that we decided to get a new Finance Director. We need somebody to come here and help us make this decision. Until I have that, I won’t support going out getting a certified accountant to run this department. So we have an independent look at our processes and how we can change that. In the interim, we can get somebody in here to fix these short term issues.”
Epp then noted that the “Finance Department is doing the best they can”.
Canda then made another pitch for getting a new Finance Director with an accounting degree and real experience, saying, “We’re gonna fail the next audit if we don’t hire somebody.”
(What is happening at the meeting now is that Day doesn’t want to make a move on hiring a new Finance Director until an outside consultant tells him it is needed. Canda is saying we need to do two things now, find and hire a new Finance Director because it is obvious we need one and also hire a consultant to come in now to help fix the problems.) Canda said, “The dual path is warranted. I wish we had a CPA now. We passed that about a month ago.”
Day then said, “I want somebody to come in and tell us what to do, black and white. I believe the motion on the floor now is a knee jerk reaction. We need somebody in here. I support getting somebody in now to help us and if this includes bringing in a (new) Finance Director, I won’t support it.”
Public Comment was then opened up. It was quite interesting as several retired successful business people commented. The consensus was to hire a consultant now to help fix the audit issues and then look at the Finance Director issue.
After Public Comment, the vote to post and hire a new Finance Director was made. Day voted no. Canda voted yes. And, contrary to his vote a few weeks ago to hire a new Finance Director, and his statement at the beginning of the meeting about wanting to hire a new Finance Director, Epp voted no. So, the county will not be looking for a new Finance Director for a while.
Or maybe not. What goes around comes around.
There was a regular BOCC meeting the next day. Usual stuff. But, right after the meeting ended, according to a very reliable source, and confirmed later, Lisa Bivins, our current Finance Director, handed in her resignation letter to the three commissioners! The terms are not known but this could be a HUGE problem as the only other person in the department is a recent hire with no accounting experience. So, WHO is going to get things done” Payroll, accounts payable, etc. Could be a BIG mess. Looks like Day and Epp made a boo-boo in not posting for a new Finance Director. However, now we WILL get a qualified, experienced accountant in here. Hopefully, in the end, with a qualified Finance Director on board, the ship will be righted and it will be smooth sailing in Happy Valley again.
Christmas Parade 2023
This year’s Christmas Parade was sponsored by Valley Strong which promotes local businesses alongside the tourism board.
