Date: 02/14/2006

Final
BILL SUMMARY for HB06-1304

HOUSE COMMITTEE ON LOCAL GOVERNMENT

Votes: View--> Action Taken:
Refer the bill to the Committee on Appropriations.PASS


02:47 PM -- House Bill 06-1304

Representative Sullivan, bill sponsor, explained that HB 06-1304 addresses the issue of contributions to volunteer firefighter pension funds in municipalities of population less than 100,000, fire protection districts, and county improvement districts. Fire protection districts do not collect property taxes and some have been funded from other sources without statutory authorization.


02:49 PM

Barbara Kirkmeyer, Department of Local Affairs, explained the provisions of the bill to fund volunteer firefighter pension funds from sources other than property taxes. She explained how the contributions would be made from the newly allowed sources and provided calculations of the amount of such contributions under the bill's provisions. Ms. Kirkmeyer responded to committee questions regarding the other types of taxes that would be used as sources for contributions and regarding how the bill fits in with the passage of Referendum C.


03:02 PM

Mike Middleton, Steamboat Springs Volunteer Fire Department, spoke in support of the bill. He spoke to the problems current law has caused for funding the Steamboat Springs volunteer fire department's pension fund.


03:05 PM

Jay Muhme, Steamboat Springs Volunteer Fire Department, spoke in support of the bill. He provided background on the funding of the fire department pension fund in Steamboat Springs.


03:08 PM

Art Morales, Chief, Castle Rock Fire Department, spoke in support of the bill. He spoke to the funding of his department's pension fund and to how using those funds to purchase equipment became a problem when it was determined that funding from sources without statutory authorization would no longer be allowed.


03:10 PM

Representative Sullivan provided closing comments on the bill.
BILL:HB06-1304
TIME: 03:11:49 PM
MOVED:Stafford
MOTION:Refer the bill to the Committee on Appropriations. The motion carried on an 11-0 roll call vote.
SECONDED:Berens
VOTE
Berens
Yes
Cerbo
Yes
Curry
Yes
Decker
Yes
Massey
Yes
May M.
Yes
Merrifield
Yes
Soper
Yes
Stafford
Yes
Lindstrom
Yes
Hodge
Yes
Final YES: 11 NO: 0 EXC: 0 ABS: 0 FINAL ACTION: PASS