I am writing this letter to voice my disappointment in the KCRMD Board. We have a fiscal problem and the MD Board can only think to tax and spend more. I have lived in the Ken Caryl Valley since 1991. For over 27 years I have owned and operated a successful business in the medical field. I have not seen any reasonable efforts by this board to seriously cut expenses, but what I have seen is the mismanagement of funds that they currently do have.

We are wasting money on a second election. What was wrong with the first election results? The MD expects that a second election will cost upwards of $15,000. The people of Ken Caryl have spoken and sent forth a wise business message. Do not raise taxes. The residents made a smart decision to defeat amendment 5A because I believe they knew that the MD and MA boards mismanaged the funds they had.

I was disappointed to see my HOA dues increased 11.43% this year, so that the MA could fund a gift to the MD of $112,000. The MA board is supposed to represent the homeowners, who overwhelmingly voted 55% to 45% against a tax increase.

I was informed that from 2000 to 2007 inclusive the MD Board has spent a total of $685,061.64 in legal fees. In 2007 the attorney fees were $117,837.52. It seems coincidental that the MA gift of $112,000 to the MD would just cover attorney fees. Taxpayers UNITE you are paying for Law Suit Lawyers.

Ken Caryl Ranch provides services such as pools, tennis, equestrian center, and day care to mention a few. These services can continue to be provided for if the Board(s) would manage their funds correctly. The way to begin this process is to vote NO on any future tax increase and force the MD and MA to reduce attorney fees. Taxpayers UNITE. Do not pay for any tax increase until the MD Board can show better business decisions and fiscal responsibility. For more information, go to www.notanothertaxincrease.com.

Sincerely,
James F. Wilson
Ken-Caryl

Last November, many of us were very disappointed in the failure of the mill levy increase proposal for Ken-Caryl Ranch Metropolitan District (KCRMD). At that time, we realized that we had been complacent about the election and were called to action when things got dire. All of us became more educated and involved after that vote - and I, along with many other residents, aim to turn the "no" vote around.

To that end, other residents and I have set up an issue committee, required by Colorado law, to disseminate the facts (vs. fiction) about a mill levy increase to the public. We found that the facts were omitted by the "vote no on 5a" campaign last fall and want to rectify the situation.

Our issue committee is for the benefit of the Ken-Caryl Ranch community and its residents. We want to work toward a common goal of ensuring that our amenities are maintained.

We have more information at www.investinkcranch.org. If you have questions or comments, please feel free to e:mail us at info@investinkcranch.org and we'll be sure to respond to you .

Alison Evans
Committee to Invest in Ken-Caryl Ranch

By KCRMD Board of Directors

The KCRMD 2008 budget has been adopted and is now in place. Copies of the KCRMD 2008 Budget are available at the Ranch House and on the Ken-Caryl Ranch Web site at www.ken-carylranch.org. This article provides a summary of the key changes in this year's budget. Residents are urged to contact the KCRMD if they have any questions not answered here.

Revenues for KCRMD come from a variety of sources. Property tax revenues for KCRMD will rise by about $150,000 in 2008. This is due to the minimal growth in residential assessed values and the addition of some commercial revenues from 2006 to 2007. (The majority of businesses on Ken-Caryl Ranch do not pay taxes to KCRMD; however, there are a few who do.) Ownership tax revenues for KCRMD will drop by about $20,000 in 2008, slightly offsetting the rise in property tax revenues. User Fees have been raised for 2008; an additional $70,000 is expected to come in from these increased program and swimming pool access fees. Other funding sources (grants and lottery funds) are expected to remain flat in 2008. The overall revenue increase in 2008 is expected to be $200,000, as compared with 2007.

Despite the cost-containment efforts outlined in the following section, expenditures in the 2008 KCRMD budget will also increase. Operating expenditures will increase by $116,000 (approximately 3.3 percent) due mainly to increases in the cost of water, utilities and labor. The 2008 budget includes $58,000 for a new filtration system for the Community Center pool and $65,000 to rebuild the depleted Fund Balance (which presently shows a negative $185,000 balance). The overall expenditure increase in 2008 is $239,000.

Cost-containment has been a priority of the District for many years now, but especially for the 2008 budget year because the 5A mill-levy measure was turned down in November 2007. The 2008 budget calls for leaving the Bradford (North Ranch) pool unopened in 2008, saving an estimated $42,000. Several KCRMD full-time staff positions are budgeted to go unfilled in 2008 in an effort to try to try to balance the budget as much as possible through internal adjustments (additional $125,000 savings). The 2008 budget calls for a reduction in the amount of water applied to Youth Sports fields, parks and greenbelts, with a goal of saving $50,000. In all, about $217,000 in costs have been cut from the 2008 budget.

In summary, the 2008 KCRMD budget calls for $39,000 more in expenditures than revenues, despite the District cutting $217,000 in costs over the year. Closing this gap is a continuing challenge for the KCRMD Board of Directors and further adjustments appear to be needed in order to balance the 2008 budget.

The Ken-Caryl Ranch Master Association in January, approved a conditional gift to the KCRMD of $112,000 to allow the opening of Bradford Pool in 2008, eliminating resident swim fees and providing adequate irrigation water for the Youth Sports fields, parks and greenbelts. These funds will be placed into Escrow until the successful passage of a Mill Levy ballot initiative slated for May 6, 2008. These costs were all removed from the adopted 2008 KCRMD budget. However, this gift would only be available to KCRMD should a successful operating mill levy election take place in May 2008. Should a May 2008 election not be successful, the gift from the Master Association would be returned from the Escrow account and the programs and operations funded as part of the gift would be eliminated from the KCRMD operations for the balance of 2008.