Delta County Independent, Dec. 19, 2018

Page 1

NORTH FORK TIMES

SURFACE CREEK NEWS

MORE THAN A POOL Crossroads Park sees some exciting new additions, B1

SPORTS

DAY OF INFAMY

Veterans gather in remembrance of attack on Pearl Harbor, C1

DELTA COUNTY

WARRIOR CLASSIC

10 local wrestlers make it to final round of tough tournament, C7-8 DECEMBER 19, 2018 VOL. 135, NO. 51

75¢

INDEPENDENT

www.deltacountyindependent.com

DA: Don’t hesitate to discuss scams BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor

There are a number of topics, beginning with politics and religion, that families may want to avoid this holiday season, but there’s one subject that law enforcement officials say should definitely be addressed — scams that target the unsuspecting and the elderly. “We encourage families to have a conversation about how to avoid becoming a victim of a financial scam,” said 7th Judicial District attorney Dan Hotsenpiller. Hotsenpiller, the sheriffs, police chiefs and marshals of western Colorado are partnering with Internal Revenue Service Criminal Investigation to raise awareness about IRS impersonation scams. Aggressive and threatening phone calls by criminals impersonating IRS agents are seen as a major threat to unsuspecting citizens. The elderly, who are often more trusting, frequently fall victim. According to Mindy Wilgus, the public information officer for IRS Criminal Investigation, losses through June 2018 totaled $1.4 million across the state of Colorado. A total of 308 victims were involved. “That’s reported loss, so we know the number is much higher than that,” she said via telephone with the DCI and the district attorney’s office. The IRS is working closely with local law enforcement

agencies, prosecutors and IRS special agents to hunt down and prosecute those who prey on our neighbors, but as long as people pay money, there will be scammers. Often these scammers operate overseas, outside the jurisdiction of U.S. law enforcement. Prevention is paramount. The best way to protect yourself and your loved ones is to be aware of tactics scammers use and how the IRS conducts business with taxpayers. • Generally, if you owe taxes the IRS will send you a bill in the mail. • The IRS will not demand payment without giving you the opportunity to question or appeal the amount you owe. • The IRS will not demand immediate, over the phone, payment by wire transfer, gift cards or prepaid debit cards. • The IRS will not ask for credit card numbers or bank account information over the phone. • The IRS will not threaten to bring in local police or other law enforcement to have you arrested or immediately seize your assets. • If you are contacted by IRS impersonators, your first step is to hang up — do not engage. And if you do fall victim to a scam, do not hesitate to report the incident to your local law enforcement agency. “We can work with the IRS and do our best to prosecute these offenders,” Hot-

County adopts $36.6M budget Courts will draw heavily on county’s fund balance

BY ANNETTE BRAND Staff Writer

At a special meeting on Dec. 6, the county commissioners adopted the 2019 budget in the amount of $36,617,003. This amount includes $12,388,739 for the General Fund; $6,682,922 for the Road and Bridge Fund; $6,803,157 for the Capital Improvement Fund; $1,697,874 for the Capital Projects Fund; $4,581,083 for the Human Services Fund; $1,088,273 for the Health Department Fund; $1,074,257 for the Enterprise Fund; $969,432 for the Payment in Lieu of Taxes Fund; and $469,914 for the Conservation Trust Fund. Funds requiring lesser appropriations are: E911 Fund, $259,432; Fairgounds Fund, $118,466; Fair Board Fund, $104,585; Open Space Fund, $121,169; Lodging Tax Fund, $104,100; Contingency Fund, $48,618; Economic

INDEX

Accent ........................... A4 Activities ......................A11 Agriculture ................... C6 Back Page ................... D6 Business .......................A12 Church ........................... D4 Classifieds .................. D1-2 Editorial ......................... A2 Health & Fitness .........B6-8 Legals ......................... D2-3 North Fork Times ........B1-4 Obituaries ..................... A9 School Zone ............... A7-8 Sports ..........................C7-8 Surface Creek News ...C1-3 TV Listings ..................C4-5

Development Fund, $38,100; Self Insurance Fund, $35,000; Energy Development Fund, $19,858; and Employee Benefit Trust Fund, $12,024. Property tax revenue for 2019 is based on the 2018 valuation for assessment in Delta County, and is certified by the Delta County assessor as being $292,906,960 total. Using the mill levy of 17.787 mills upon each dollar of total valuation within the county, property taxes will generate $5,226,046 in Delta County. County administrator Robbie LeValley said, “The 2019 budget is focused on managing increasing needs, preserving services for citizens, and providing a fiscally responsible county budget.” Four additional positions have been approved in the 2019 budget — two new positions in the sheriff ’s office, one additional attorney in the county attorney’s office, and one additional Road and Bridge District 1 employee. Financial assistance in the 2019 county budget includes $15,000 funding for Delta County Economic Development (DCED). Funds are also budgeted for All Points COUNTY BUDGET TO A3

senpiller said, but the reality is, it’s very difficult to track down the offenders and even more difficult to recover any money. That’s why his office is working with local law enforcement agencies to educate the community about the importance of prevention. While these scams are attempted year-round, Wilgus said the IRS does anticipate an uptick after the first of the year and continuing through tax season. The IRS generally sees a surge in scam phone

calls that threaten police arrest, deportation, license revocations and other penalties. To avoid any type of con game, never give out personal information over the phone. If you receive an email asking for verification of personal information, do not reply and do not click on any links. for those with caller ID, phone calls often appear to originate in the local area. Likewise, emails can look very authentic, down to a bank’s logo. Do not be fooled into giving out

personal information. If you want to confirm IRS contact, find out if you owe taxes or review payment plan options, call 800-829-1040. If you want to report the incident and help combat scammers, visit www.treasury.gov/ tigta/contact_report_scam. shtml. Tips can be emailed to denver.fincrimes@ci.irs.gov. Even businesses can fall victims to scams. Wilgus reports that scammers visit a company website to obtain the name of the human resources IRS SCAMS TO A3

Photo by Tony Bohling/City of Delta

A fresh look

City of Delta parks crews recently finished putting a fresh layer of red rock on the trail around Confluence Lake. On some portions of the trail — most notably those along the Gunnison River that were washed out by high water several years ago — a new base was needed. Throughout the length of the trail, parks crews cleaned up the edges and put down several inches of red rock. Wilma Erven, director of parks, recreation and golf for the City of Delta, said the trail is not only more esthetically pleasing, there’s a bit more cushion for walkers. Above, Trevor Huff guides a dump truck driven by Leroy Paiz. The red rock is mixed with sand for better packing.

50J evaluates requirements for naming school facilities BY PAT SUNDERLAND Managing Editor

A proposal to name the track at Cedaredge High School in honor of longtime teacher/coach Jack Kehmeier has prompted Delta County Joint School District #50 to step back and review policies in place for the naming of school district facilities. Comments are currently being sought on a suggestion the track and field between the campus of CHS and CMS be named the Jack Kehmeier Track and Field Facility. The nomination was accompanied by signatures from 100 supporters. Public input, pro or con, can be mailed to the Delta County School District at 145 W. 4th Street, Delta, CO 81416, or submitted via a link on the school district website, www.

deltaschools.com. Look for a link titled “CHS Track Naming Nomination Jack Kehmeier.” Assistant superintendent Kurt Clay said the nomination has prompted the formation of a committee to review and submit recommendations to the school board for naming procedures going forward. In addition to 100 signatures from legal resident voters, Clay said any nominations are open for public comment for two weeks. In the case of an award, supporters are expected to maintain that award for a minimum of five years. In the case of a facility, supporters are expected to pay at least half the cost of any signage. Clay said the committee, which is made up of two community members, two prin-

cipals and three individuals from district leadership, are in the process of finalizing those guidelines, to give the school board guidance on naming facilities in the future. The committee is giving serious consideration to how much time must have elapsed since an individual either retired or passed away, to avoid the emotions that run high when major life events occur. “Does that person’s legacy still carry on?” Clay asked. “Does it stand that test of time? We want it to be a true celebration of an individual’s life.” Once the committee has finalized its recommendations, those suggestions will go to the policy review committee, then to the school board for additional revisions or final adoption.

School district mill levy holds steady

Christmas break

Assessed valuation in Delta County dropped by $2 million in 2018, but the school district mill levy remains steady. The general fund mill levy, which has been frozen at 22.656 by the state for over 10 years, according to Jim Ventrello, Delta County Joint School District #50 business manager, is expected to generate an estimated $7,817,765. The school district relies heavily on state funding. Without that support, Ventrello said the mill levy would be 113.066 mills for the calendar year 2019. The school board also certified an abatement levy of 0.074, to generate $25,479, and a bond redemption levy of 5.547 to generate $1,896,700. Delta County Joint School District collects property tax in Delta County, as well as portions of Gunnison, Montrose and Mesa counties. While assessed valuation is down slightly in Delta County, Ventrello said the assessed valuation in Mesa and Montrose counties is flat, and Gunnison County increased by $600,000. In 2013, assessed valuation in Gunnison County was $108 million, compared to the most recent tally of $47 million, which Ventrello said demonstrates the effect of coal mine closures.

Delta County schools wrap up the first semester of the 2018-19 school year on Friday; students and staff will be on Christmas break Dec. 24 through Jan. 7. Staff returns to work on Monday, Jan. 7, for an in-service day. For students, the first day of school in the new year will be Tuesday, Jan. 8. The first portion of the basketball season wraps up with the third annual First Colorado National Bank tournament, to be held at Delta High School Dec. 21 and 22. This much-anticipated event features boys and girls teams from Delta, Cedaredge, Paonia and Hotchkiss high schools.


Turn static files into dynamic content formats.

Create a flipbook
Issuu converts static files into: digital portfolios, online yearbooks, online catalogs, digital photo albums and more. Sign up and create your flipbook.
Delta County Independent, Dec. 19, 2018 by Delta County Independent - Issuu