Delta County’s budget process violates Sunshine Law, citizens’ group says

The Daily Sentinel (Grand Junction): A Delta County organization plans to file suit Tuesday against the Delta County Commission, contending that the county’s budget process is flawed and was conducted without appropriate transparency.

The suit will seek a permanent injunction against “routine practices” by the county that contravene Colorado Open Meetings laws and laws governing the drafting of local government budgets, JoAnn Kalenak, president of Delta County Citizen Report, said.

The county’s budget process passed muster, County Administrator Robbie LeValley said.

The County Commission on Monday approved the county’s $11.6 million general fund.

The citizen report “misread, misinterpreted, and misapplied state open-meeting laws and state budget requirements,” the county said in response to a formal budget complaint lodged with the county in November.

Citizen Report listed several areas in its formal complaint in which it said the budget process fell short.

“The proposed budget lacks fiscal (responsibility) given the unallocated, large reserve balance that is carried over, year to year, without adequate explanation. And it lacks transparency given its limited public involvement and its incomplete and poorly presented format,” the report said in its complaint.

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