GARCO 2014 BUDGET PRESENTED
Glenwood Springs—With an expected 26 percent drop in property tax revenues, Garfield County is prepared to tackle next year’s budget challenges. The Board of Commissioners received the 2014 budget from the finance department Tuesday that forecasts an end of year fund balance of 105 million dollars. Finance Director Anne Driggers says property taxes are expected to rebound in 2015. The first county budget hearing is scheduled for October 22nd.
RETAIL WEED LIKELY TO BE BANNED IN RIFLE
Rifle—The Rifle City Council is expected to ban retail marijuana establishments during tonight’s meeting. The council is scheduled to vote on the stipulations of Amendment 64, legalizing recreational marijuana. The council meeting begins at 7.
C-DOT ASSESSES FLOOD-DAMAGED BRIDGES
DENVER (AP) – The Colorado Department of Transportation says 120 state bridges need repair after flooding last month. The department said Wednesday it has completed inspections of 491 bridges on the state highway system that were potentially impacted by flooding in northeast and eastern Colorado. The department said no bridges were completely destroyed. The remaining 291 are currently open with no need for repairs.
MEDICAL WEED REGISTRY TO STAY INTACT
DENVER (AP) – Colorado health authorities have rejected for a second time a request from medical marijuana patients to dismantle the medical pot registry. The state Board of Health declined a patient petition Wednesday to dismantle the existing registry and start another one because of security breaches. The breaches were outlined in an audit earlier this year. The board did agree to lower annual fees paid by medical marijuana patients. The exact rate will be decided in December. Although marijuana use is now legal for all adults over 21 in Colorado, some 109,000 people are registered to use medical marijuana.
Patients pay $35 a year for the right to shop in dispensaries and are also allowed to possess more marijuana. The registry is not supposed to make money, just cover administrative costs.
