Gypsum Budget

Total revenues in the town of Gypsum increased seven percent last year and as the town looks ahead to 2015, it is budging for a conservative 5 percent gain.

The town’s general fund budget for next year is $20 million, but according to Town Manager Jeff Shroll actual operations fall more in the $12 million to $15 million range.

“Eight million of that (the town’s $20 million budget) goes to the Gypsum Recreation Center from a bond,” said Shroll. “The money is collected, and it’s $140,000 above and beyond, which we are giving to the rec center as a capital investment.”

Gypsum Town Council members approved the 2015 budget at last week’s meeting. The town is carrying over of $2 million from 2014.

As it looks to the year ahead, the town will finish it major expansion of the LEDE (the name is derived from the initials of the four families who originally built it) Reservoir. The town will also continue their contract with the Eagle County Sheriff’s office in the amount of $750,000.

Gypsum’s other large capital construction project for 2015 is to partner with Eagle County to build a new recycling center similar to Eagle’s.

According to Shroll, Gypsum residents commonly ask about growth and capacity in the community.

“Both our water and sewer is under capacity – at less than 50 pecent,” said Shroll. Though the town has not made a decision whether to raise trash service fees next year, Gypsum is not anticipating raising water or sewer fees.

Economic Development

Gypsum organizes various funding requests from local and regional groups into different categories. In the “economic development” category, t he town donated $20,000 in 2014 to the 2015 World Alpine Ski Championships, and budgeted another $18,000 towards that event for 2015.

Other donations for “economic development” include:

Wings & Wheels — $10,000

Eagle County Fair & Rodeo — $1,500

Vail Valley Partnership Economic Development Council — $5,000

Vail Valley Medical Center — $5,000

El Grito Celebration — $1,500 and $400 in-kind

Business Grant Program — $60,000 (applications open in April)

Eagle Air Alliance — $50,000

World Cup Fly Fishing Tournament — $1,000

EVHS Poster Schedule — $2,000

Gypsum First Marketing Campaign — $7,500

Trail-building — $2,500

Education Contributions

Eagle Valley High School Prom — $2,000

EVHS Project Graduation — $2,000

Gypsum Creek Middle School Civil War Re-enactment — $1,400

CMC Hero Scholarship for Gypsum resident — $2,500

Ute Springs Learning Center — $2,000

Walking Mountain Science Center — $2,000

General Annual Contributions

Eagle Fire Holiday Toy Drive — $2,000

Bravo! — $5,000

Eagle River Watershed — $2,000 (half for highway cleanup/half for river cleanup)

Eagle County Seniors — $1,000

Winter Family Fun Fest — $5,000

Youth Foundation — $2,500

Eagle Valley Land Trust — $5,000

Crawling to a Cure — $2,500

Speak Up! Reach Out! (Suicide prevention) — $1,000

Snowboard Outreach Society (SOS) — $500

Buddy Warner — $1,500

Eagle River Youth Coalition — $2,000

Miscellaneous Contributions

Augustana Senior Center — $67,000

Gypsum Fire Department — $10,000

Gypsum Town Council Discretionary — $12,500

Capital Spending

Capital outlay for Gypsum Public Works includes replacing all street lights with LED lights, and the destruction of the old grocery store on Railroad Ave. The estimated cost is $388,000

The town will also finish road construction on Valley Road, including replacement of the last section of galvanized water line in town.

“We will also be replacing the rock at the roundabout to beautify it,” said Shroll.

Park improvements will include new equipment and refurbishing the Cotton Ranch tennis court for $150,000.

Pump system for the Gypsum Creek Golf Course will be upgraded to the tune of $300,000.

“This will separate the water systems for the golf course and the town,” said Shroll.

And finally, the town is budgeting $112,000 for its annual Gypsum Daze event.