County assessment up more than $2M, assessor says

Tom Milstead
Posted 4/18/19

The Goshen County Board of Commissioners heard reports from three county departments, discussed what it would look like if there was to be an oil boom in the county

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

Log in

County assessment up more than $2M, assessor says

Posted

TORRINGTON – The Goshen County Board of Commissioners heard reports from three county departments, discussed what it would look like if there was to be an oil boom in the county and approved a request from Governor Mark Gordon to use Emergency Manager Shelly Kirchhefer at a state level, should the need ever arise, during its regularly scheduled meeting on Tuesday at the Goshen County Courthouse. 

The commission accepted a report from Sheriff Kory Fleenor 2-0. Fleenor reported the Goshen County Sheriff’s Office is on solid ground, and Lieutenant Wes Deen reported  Goshen County Detention is housing 17 inmates – all of them local. During the sheriff’s report, County Clerk Cindy Kenyon told Fleenor that the department’s grant request for new rain gear had been approved, and the department will hopefully have its slickers before the end of the rainy season. 

Goshen County Assessor Debbi Surratt had some good news for the commission during her report. 

“The local assessment is up about 2.2 percent, which is about $2.9 million,” she said. “I don’t know how that is going to hold up. It’s too early to count your chickens.”

Surratt said the higher assessment is due to increased market value, mostly in the agricultural community. 

“We sent out ag affidavits in 2017, and we were able to put maps on the back that allowed them to show what they’re irrigating,” she said. “We had a ton of response on that.”

The commission accepted Surratt’s report 2-0. 

The last report of the meeting was from Kenyon, who updated the commission on the status of a Mineral Royalty Grant the county had applied for. If the grant is approved, it would allow the county to replace the courthouse elevator, contrast an impound lot for the GCSO and complete various other projects in county facilities. The MRG grant is administered through the State Land Investment Board. 

“They are heard twice a year, and ours is up for approval in June,” Kenyon said. “Our project was $318,000, so our 25 percent match on that was $79,000.”

Kenyon said the SLIB sent her an email to ask of the county could up its input to a 50 percent match. 

“Our best option was a request through USDA Rural Development for a public facilities grant, which can be used as matching funds,” Kenyon said. “The max they will write you is $50,000. Our plan had been to use $50,000 of community safety funds in this upcoming fiscal year to assist with two cop cars.”

Kenyon said the cars were bumped up until next year, and those funds would be used for MRG match. The USDA grants are first come, first served and Goshen County is fourth in line, Kenyon reported. 

The commission accepted her report 2-0.