S T E A M B O AT
TODAY
THURSDAY
APRIL 23, 2009
Steamboat Springs, Colorado
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Vol. 21, No. 97
RO U T T
C O U N T Y ’ S
DA I LY
N E W S PA P E R
S T E A M B O AT S P R I N G S
Runoff causes slide Mud shifts above and below River Road, but lanes remain open Page 5
COLORADO
Man guilty in slaying Allen Andrade convicted of 1st-degree murder, hate crime in beating death Page 12
SPORTS
MATT STENSLAND/STAFF
Routt County Sheriff Gary Wall listens to Sgt. Mike Baumann talk during a tour of the Routt County Jail on Wednesday. The Routt County Board of Commissioners is threatening to cut health and retirement benefits of Sheriff’s Office employees if Wall doesn’t accept countywide pay reductions for his staff.
County presses Wall
Commissioners could slash benefits for departments that don’t accept cuts Brandon Gee
PILOT & TODAY STAFF
Tigers earn stripes Page 19
■ INDEX Briefs . . . . . . . . .10 Business. . . . . . .14 Classifieds . . . . .24 Colorado. . . . . . .12 Comics . . . . . . . .22 Crossword . . . . .23
STEAMBOAT SPRINGS
The Routt County Board of Commissioners is threatening to take away the health and retirement benefits of Sheriff’s Office employees if Sheriff Gary Wall doesn’t accept a 10 percent countywide pay reduction for his department. Without the participation of the Sheriff’s Office — one
■ LOTTO Happenings . . . . .7 Horoscope . . . . .22 Nation. . . . . . . . .13 Sports. . . . . . . . .19 ViewPoints . . . . . .8 Weather . . . . . . .18
Wednesday night’s Powerball numbers: 15-22-30-37-48 12 Lotto numbers: 7-14-27-34-35-36 Cash 5 numbers: 6-7-13-14-31
of Routt County’s largest and best-paid departments — county commissioners say they may be forced to make layoffs they hope to avoid as they confront a $4.9 million deficit in their 2009 budget. Commissioners will consider a resolution next week adopting a furlough plan for county employees that will reduce work hours 10 percent to match the pay cut adopted by Resolution 2009-019 on April 1. A provi-
■ WEATHER
Mild with clouds and sun. High of 66.
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sion of the resolution states that in the event any Routt County elected official refuses to accept the pay cut, “the board reserves the right to exclude the employees working in that elected official’s department from employment benefits … including … retirement plan coverage and medical insurance coverage.” Wall already has challenged the pay cuts in a letter from his attorney arguing that although the commissioners have the
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right to revise the adopted budget when revenues fall short of projections, they cannot unilaterally reduce the salaries of employees of elected officials without mutual agreement. While the furlough resolution speaks to any elected official that may refuse the pay cuts, County Manager Tom Sullivan said Wednesday that Wall is the only one opposing them so far. See Wall, back page
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