Rico mulls chances of becoming a new county

Rico mulls chances of becoming a new county

Aug 25, 2001

By Jim Mimiaga
Journal Staff Writer

"Renegade Rico" not only sounds cool, it has a ring of truth to it also.

There’s talk that the small mountain town could be in a position in a few years to carve out its own county, if it can get the state Legislature’s blessing.

Forget seceding from Dolores County and joining next-door San Miguel County as has been discussed in the past, says Town Manager Eric Heil.

"If we get in sewer (services), and start developing our own independent economy and population base, I think in five years we could be in a position to financially afford becoming our own separate county," Heil said. "It is not unrealistic and it would be the best for the residents to have their own county government for services."

Rico sits on the far eastern edge of Dolores County, creating a geo-political disadvantage city officials are working to overturn. Most of Dolores County’s 1,800 residents farm on the western section of the sprawling county, which is separated culturally and geographically from Rico by miles of rough mountain terrain and the remote Dolores River valley.

In fact, getting from Rico to the county seat, Dove Creek, means traveling into Montezuma County to the south, around McPhee Reservoir, and then back north 30 miles, a 65-mile one-way trip.

In addition to the geographic isolation, Rico’s residents are becoming critical of the limited services the town receives from the county property taxes it pays. For instance, Dolores County last year passed a property-tax increase for a $4.4 million bond to finance a new school in Dove Creek that no Rico student will attend.

Many locals believe that they are getting short shrift from the Dolores County tax-fund distribution.

"Rico’s assessed property values are highest in the county, so we pay for a lot of the tax base, but do not get the benefit," said Dara Kinsey, editor of the weekly Rico Sun-Times.

Rico is now considering a municipal tax proposal that would fund municipal essentials such as a sewer system, allow for modest growth and pay for a permanent full-time town manager. The proposal is preliminary, but may be on the November ballot.

"We’re talking an increase of 6 mills to fund a full-time town manager, and a sales-tax increase from 4 percent to 5 percent to fund comprehensive staffing and capital improvements," explained Heil.

A separate question being considered would ask for another 4 mills to finance a $4 million central sewer system that would hook up to homes and business. Currently each business and home is on an individual septic system.

If that measure fails, developer Rico Renaissance, which owns most of the land around the town, has expressed interest in developing the system in cooperation with the town.

In addition, the town board is considering asking voters for a 1 percent lodging tax to help fund open space and the business association, and a $2-per-square-foot excise tax on all new construction that would pay to improve the town hall, streets, parks and fire department.

"It is an aggressive and progressive approach, but we need to be ready for growth while at the same time protecting the qualities we all love here," Heil said.

"The business community’s feedback is that they need population growth to justify any expansion plans."

He said there is a lot of resistance to joining San Miguel County because of the rapid growth around Telluride and the condo-choked Mountain Village Resort, "so we may be able to get the Legislature to wave its wand and make it (a new county) happen."

Breaking free of Dolores County is seen as an honorable solution by many who live there. The new county would stretch from Montezuma County on the south to San Miguel County on the north, and from the Dolores River on the west, to La Plata County on the east.

"People support the idea because it’s about more control over how and where their tax dollars are spent," said Kinsey. "We could use some growth, and the mill-levy increase would help that, but at the same time people live here because of what it is now — I don’t think we want rows and rows of condos."

During the late-19th-century mining boom, Rico was notorious for brothels, bootlegging and a rowdy mountain-man culture. But after the mining bust, it became a bona fide ghost town until the mid-1970s, when it was revived by the much-tamer gold mine of tourism — which has flourished in nearby Telluride.

"The community here is like a big extended family that always lends a helping hand," said Kinsey. "A lot of people work in Telluride but come back to Rico because they like the small-town feel that I think Telluride has lost somewhat."

The Rico Theater has become the biggest draw for the town, featuring musical guests and bands as diverse as Laura Love, Leftover Salmon, Zero, Burning Spear, Junior Brown and Galactic.

During intermission, fans spill out onto the highway to socialize. Post-concert camping and bonfires are common, often with the main act performing there until dawn.

Dolores County sheriff’s deputies rarely make it to Rico, and problems have been minimal, Kinsey said, adding that people have grown to appreciate the limited police presence.

"With our own county, we could get our own sheriff, probably along the lines of Bill Masters (the Libertarian sheriff of San Miguel County)," Heil said.

In 2000, a controversial drug checkpoint was set up by Dolores County Sheriff Jerry Martin at Rico. The "observation checkpoint" coincided with the Telluride Bluegrass Festival and many in Rico saw the tactic as a bit heavy-handed, Heil said.

Creating a new county means amending the state constitution, but it is not unheard of. The town of Broomfield successfully did it last year, following years of study and lobbying.

Broomfield’s growth had begun extending into four separate counties — Weld, Boulder, Jefferson and Adams. The situation created confusion about police jurisdiction and county services.

But beginning in November, Broomfield, a town of 40,000, will become Colorado’s 64th county. Assistant City Manager Charlie Ozaki said the measure gained the necessary two-thirds support from both legislative houses thanks to a grassroots effort, community support and common sense.

"It took a lot of feasibility studies and a vote from the community, but now we have a better sense of who we are and no longer have to contend with four separate county governments," Ozaki said.

If all goes well, perhaps Rico County will become the state’s 65th county in the not-so-distant future.