Triview Metropolitan District, Nov. 21 – 2025 annual budget approved; mill levies set

2025 budget
FLMD contract increase
Other approved items
Election considerations
Highway Users Tax Fund dispute
Financial update
Water utilities update
Wells recharging
Executive session

By Natalie Barszcz

At the Triview Metropolitan District (TMD) meeting on Nov. 21, the board approved the 2025 annual budget and certified the district’s mill levy. The board approved the fourth amendment to the agreement for contract operations services between Forest Lakes Metropolitan District (FLMD) and TMD, an audit engagement letter for the district’s 2024 financial audit, the annual administrative resolution, the amended and restated public records request policy, and a resolution calling for a May 6, 2025, election of the Board of Directors.

The board discussed the lack of response from the Town of Monument (TOM) relating to the Highway Users Tax Fund (HUTF) request. The board held an executive session pursuant to Colorado Revised Statutes 24-6-402(4)(a), for the purpose of acquisition or sale of water/land, and 24-6-402(4)(e), to determine positions relative to matters that may be subject to negotiations, developing strategies for negotiations, and instructing negotiators as it relates to potential development incentives and intergovernmental agreement.

Vice President Anthony Sexton was excused.

2025 budget

President Mark Melville opened the public hearing on the 2025 budget and, with no comments from the public, the hearing was closed.

District Manager James McGrady proposed the board approve 14.000 mills upon each dollar of the total valuation of assessment of all taxable property within the district for the year 2024 to balance the General Fund budget and meet the general obligation debt retirement expense of about $2.528 million. In the past, the debt service mill levy was 35 mills.

He also proposed the board approve 6.500 mills upon each dollar of the total valuation of assessment of all taxable property to meet the General Operations expense of about $1.174 million. The final assessed valuation of property levy will total 20.5 mills, with no change from 2024. The total assessed value for the district is about $180.591 million. The district anticipates receiving about $2.7 million in sales tax revenue from the TOM, and a total of about $8.9 million in combined revenue from Special Ownership Taxes (vehicle sales) for 2025, property tax from the TOM (about $450,000), Road and Bridge Impact Fees, and the revenue from providing services to FLMD ($150,000), said McGrady

Melville said it is the first time in five years the board has not approved an increase in mills for the general obligation debt.

McGrady said the district has some extraordinary expenses on the horizon, and the increase to 6.5 mills will be needed for the general operation of the district.

The board adopted the 2025 budget with minor adjustments and certified the mill levies in a 4-0 vote.

FLMD contract increase

The board also approved a 3% increase to the FLMD contract for operations and services to increase the hourly rates of service to coincide with the district employee benefits and salary cost-of-living allowance. The TMD Public Works and Open Spaces Department maintains the landscaping and public areas and provides snow removal in FLMD.

McGrady said the FLMD board will be requested to approve the increase at the annual public hearing on Dec. 2.

Other approved items

The board also approved the following:

An audit engagement letter for Haynie and Co. to complete the TMD 2024 financial audit for a fee not to exceed $29,000.
The 2025 annual administrative Resolution 2024-13, setting forth the board obligations.
The policy for responding to CORA requests with a maximum statuary charge increase to $41.37 per hour. The periodical increase is set by statute and had previously been set at $30.
A May 6, 2025, director election.

Election considerations

McGrady said the board will also need to consider ballot language in January 2025 to request removal of a revenue cap for the TABOR and a bond question to pay about $12 million for the widening of Higby Road and capital improvements. See https://wp.ocn.me/v24n11tmd/. The 2025 election may also include a question to remove term limits for board directors. Three incumbent directors are term limited, he said.

Highway Users Tax Fund dispute

McGrady said if the TOM were collecting Highway Users Tax Fund (HUTF) revenue correctly, the district should be receiving about $70,000 to $80,000 per month. The district paid a contractor to measure the roads and notified interim Town Manager Madeleine VanDenHoek via letter, requesting an agreement several months ago, he said.

Director Jason Gross said for every month the district does not receive a response from the TOM, the district is losing about $70,000 to $80,000 per month for road repairs.

McGrady said the town is claiming a third of the total roads and some of the TMD roads without reimbursing the district, and that is incorrect. TMD repairs the roads within the district at a cost to its residents. The HUTF is gas tax revenue collected statewide, and the town should be collecting the correct amount of revenue for all town roads (including TMD roads) and distributing the district’s HUTF portion to the district, McGrady said. Monument will need to continue collecting HUTF, and the district’s proposed cost-sharing agreement needs to be signed to allow the district to recover road repair costs in perpetuity, he said.

Note: TMD falls within the TOM municipality, and the Colorado HUTF has been available to municipalities since 2009. The district is responsible for repairs in the residential areas east of I-25, north of Baptist Road to encompass Sanctuary Pointe, Leather Chaps Drive, Jackson Creek Parkway, and up to and including the south portion of Higby Road.

The board discussed further action regarding the HUTF agreement in executive session.

Financial update

The board accepted the October 2024 financial report as presented and approved 17 checks over $5,000 totaling almost $1.389 million. The payment to Colorado Springs Utilities for the conveyance, treatment, and delivery of the district’s residential and commercial water was $261,053.

Water utilities update

Water Utilities Superintendent Gary Potter said the district produced about 32.206 million gallons (MG) of water in October 2024, with 29.942 MG billed to customers. Unbilled water represents a 5.05% loss for October, slightly lower than 5.60% in October 2023, but the district is still working on lowering the loss with the help of the District Administrator Sara Lamb. The loss is low at 5% compared to many districts and the district may never achieve 0%, said Potter.

Wells recharging

Potter presented the board with a graph showing well level trends from the start of the Northern Delivery System (NDS) operations and said the chart demonstrates a steady recharge of all static well levels since the NDS became the primary water source for the district from September through November. The dips show the 1% of water pumped to maintain well operation, but the recovery of the wells is a slow and steady recharge, and he anticipates a full recharge before irrigation season begins in 2025. The wells can drop hundreds of feet during high usage before recovery. The district is receiving 99% of its water via the NDS, said Potter.

Executive session

The board moved into an executive session at 8:13 p.m., pursuant to Colorado Revised Statutes section 24-6-402(4)(a), for the purpose of acquisition or sale of water/land, and 24-6-402(4)(e), to determine positions relative to matters that may be subject to negotiations, developing strategies for negotiations, and instructing negotiators as it relates to potential development incentives and intergovernmental agreement.

Sheffield confirmed to this reporter that after the meeting returned to the regular session at 9:40 p.m., no action was taken and the meeting adjourned at 9:48 p.m.

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Meetings are usually held on the third Thursday of the month at the district office at 16055 Old Forest Point, Suite 302. The next regular board meeting is scheduled for Dec. 16 at 5:30 p.m. For meeting agendas, minutes, and updates, visit https://triviewmetro.com.

Natalie Barszcz can be reached at nataliebarszcz@ocn.me.