Study says Aurora city-county conversion could save taxpayers $10 million a year

AURORA | A new phase of a study focusing on creating an Aurora city-county government estimates that the same services Aurora residents now get would cost about $10 million a year less if the city created a unified municipal-county entity similar to Denver and Broomfield.

That’s according to the preliminary results of a study by TischlerBise, a firm commissioned by the city council to examine the issue. The firm found that Aurora could could see cost-savings through duplicated roles in city departments  and functions currently provided by overlapping counties, and by contracting with Arapahoe County for jail space.

Proponents of the study say it points out that many services provided and paid for by Aurora taxpayers are also being provided by county governments, and efficiency could not only provide taxpayer savings, but services focused on just Aurora residents, and not people who live as far away as Brighton or Littleton.

At a study session Monday, TischlerBise told Aurora City Council members that there were enough similarities between city and county roles to provide reduced costs for county departments that would include the treasurer, clerk and recorder, sheriff, surveyor, finance, and county attorney.

The study found, that many roles in the new Sheriff’s office could be staffed by the city’s police, court and fire departments. It also found that the city could see $4.2 million a year in savings if it contracted with Arapahoe County jail for beds and services. If built new, the county jail would be the most expensive facility for Aurora  at $97 million, according to the firm. 

TischlerBise completed a study last spring that showed the maximum costs Aurora would incur if it were to become a city-county tomorrow and have fully staffed city and county operations.  That study showed  incorporating the city into its own county could cost $325 million in new buildings and expenses. That study also predicted the gap between operating revenues and expenditures would cost the city around $20 million a year for the next 20 years, but expected cost savings would not only close that revenue gap, but put Aurora in the black and provide a revenue surplus — in theory.

Not everyone on the city council was impressed with the study. Councilwoman Renie Peterson said she was concerned that much of the savings came from decreasing the number of city staff in departments from what those departments would cost to operate if they were fully-staffed.

“My assumption is we would increase services and make them better or why would we take this on?” she said. “I’m concerned with taking our staff, stretching them out … and then only adding a small amount of people in order to come up with the numbers. Based on the last report, where we are 20 years out, I’m not going to support this at all.”

SEE THE NEW PHASE OF THE AURORA CITY COUNTY STUDY HERE

Councilwoman Barb Cleland said the city already performs many county functions without having the power or funding anyway.

“We’re (already) taking on county jobs,” she said. “This year, we put money into the budget for homeless. That is a county function. Because of our not getting as much help as I think we need, we’re not getting as many services in Aurora for a lot of our social service needs.”

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The city of Aurora currently straddles three counties — Adams, Arapahoe, and Douglas. Nearly 90 percent of Aurora residents live in Arapahoe County. Arapahoe County Commissioners have unanimously opposed the measure, and point to how Aurora residents, most of whom live in the county, benefit from its low mill levy, and health and human services programs that are funded by property tax, a revenue stream that is lacking in Aurora.

The earliest Aurora could forma city-county government is 2020. The state Legislature would have to agree to ask voters in the 2016 General Election whether they want to amend the Colorado Constitution and turn Aurora into a city and county. That process worries some council members.

“Do you believe Arapahoe County Commissioners are going to give up all this and create a east and west Arapahoe County?” asked Councilwoman Sally Mounier. “Do you think folks in Adams County are going to give up Stanley Marketplace and Anschutz?”

Aurora Mayor Steve Hogan pointed out that when Broomfield became a county, surrounding counties did not oppose them retaining the Interlochen technology corridor.  Broomfield was the last city in Colorado to transition to the state’s 64th county by voter approval in 2001.

The study is based on Aurora remaining solely in the 18th Judicial District, keeping its current city boundaries. The final cost-savings analysis will be presented at a future council meeting, according to city staff.