Steamboat Pilot & Today

Steamboat Springs — Supporters of a new court facility in Routt County will soon have their message in print.

Routt Citizens for Safe Courts hopes a coming literature campaign educates voters about the need for a judicial facility.

"The need is real. The time is right," the committee's brochure reads.

The county is expected to ask voters this fall to support a building referendum for a $17.2 million court facility.

Committee members intend to show the public why it's critical they vote yes on 1A.

If the bond issue passed, the county would use some of its reserves to pick up $6.2 million of the project costs. Taxpayers would foot the remaining $11 million.

The 52,000-square-foot building would cost $12.8 million. The remaining money would cover the cost of a $2.9 million parking garage and a $1.5 million price tag for the land.

The county's contribution to the project amounts to about a third of its reserves.

Fiscal responsibility dictated how much money the county decided to take from its reserves and place toward the project, County Commissioner Nancy Stahoviak said.

Officials wanted to make sure the county had enough to operate in case of emergency, she said.

"There is no way we could fund this project totally," Stahoviak said.

Reserve money slated for such long-term projects as road and bridge improvements comprises some of the county's contribution toward construction of the new judicial facility.

"It is causing us to delay our projects," she said. "But in order to reduce the size of the mill levy, we felt it was important to do that."

Supporters of the court facility estimate a bond issue would involve a 1.3 mill property tax increase for 20 years.

Taxpayers could expect to pay an additional $12 for every $100,000 of residential property and an additional $38 for every $100,000 of commercial property.

"That's a very little price to pay to have a very safe court facility," Stahoviak said.

About 20 people meet weekly to consider ways to get the word out about the real need for a new court facility.

Also aiding their efforts is a model of the proposed court facility.

The model, which is now on display at Alpine Bank, will be circulated throughout Routt County in order to reach the largest number of people possible, said Noreen Moore, staff assistant to Routt Citizens for Safe Courts.

"We'll be rotating it around the community," she said.

One of the next stops planned for the miniature court facility is the Exhibition Hall at the Routt County Fairgrounds during the Routt County Fair.

The county can't campaign for a new court facility, County Commissioner Doug Monger said last week.