BY WELD COUNTY COMMISSIONER Bill JERKE
AND WELD CONTY ASSESSOR Chris WOORUFF
"City loses in rejecting LifeBridge"
Special- April 1, 2008
It matters to Weld County not one nickel whether the LifeBridge Christian Church's future campus on Colo. Highway 119 is sited in unincorporated Weld County or within Longmont's city limits. The tax revenue to the county will be exactly the same regardless of which government sites the project.
Weld County will receive 16.804 mills, as we do on all assessable property. If, for example, LifeBridge reaches 100 million dollars of assessed valuation at build-out, LifeBridge properties would pay $1,680,400 in annual property taxes to Weld County based on today's mill levy.
It is up to the state property tax administrator to determine if an entity will be exempt from property taxation. Based upon our understanding of the laws and their interpretation, we believe that most LifeBridge developed properties will be property tax payers.
Certainly all residential and commercial and oil and gas properties will be taxable. Sanctuaries, as they are throughout the state, will be exempt. Other examples of likely exempt property include schools or other property used strictly for religious purposes.
Weld County is a large, high-growth, agrarian-based, oil-and-gas-developed county. Its proximity to water, highways, natural resources and major population centers make it ripe for development. We regularly receive applications for diverse projects ranging from mega-dairies, housing developments, oil and gas support facilities, gravel pits, electrical generation, etc.
We were surprised at how controversial LifeBridge turned out to be--there are far more noxious uses than what a megachurch and its support facilities and residential development seemed to be. It seemed a great location for development and a perfectly good use near a major city. The reality is that it remains a great project and is truly Longmont's fiscal loss.
If LifeBridge was in Longmont, it would be subject to a mill levy of 13.420. Based upon the same assessed value scenario as discussed above, Longmont could expect $1,342,000 in annual property taxes based on today's mill levy. Less taxation for the city, but what services would the city of Longmont not receive compensation for?
The answer is few if any. LifeBridge will be in a law enforcement authority and pay 7 mills just for police protection. Water and sewer are user paid to special districts according to cost of service. The developer has to install streets, curb, sidewalks and parks.
Weld County has no sales tax. LifeBridge retail businesses will not be collecting Longmont sales tax if they are not in the city. Doesn't this, and the lack of city mill levy, give businesses located in LifeBridge a tax advantage with businesses they compete with in Longmont?
The city had everything to gain monetarily by annexing LifeBridge. Longmont's additional costs would have been nearly nonexistent.
Again, it matters not a nickel to Weld County but appears to be lost opportunity for Longmont.
Bill Jerke is a Weld County commissioner and Chris Woodruff is the Weld County assessor.