CMC board certifies mill levy resulting in $13 million in savings for taxpayers, maintains revenue stability for future investments

The Colorado Mountain College Board of Trustees met at CMC’s Morgridge Commons in Glenwood Springs for a regularly scheduled board meeting Dec. 9 and 10. 

During the meeting, trustees certified the 2025 mill levy, which will be paid by property owners in 2026. Due to the flexibility granted to the college by local voters in November with Ballot Measure 7C, trustees approved a modest upward adjustment to help stabilize CMC’s revenue in anticipation of investments in skilled trades programs and advancing housing solutions that help retain local talent.  

The mill-levy adjustment will result in $9 million in additional revenue for CMC, which is $13 million less than the college could have collected within the authority granted by taxpayers. Trustees believe that this is a responsible balance that both increases revenue for CMC’s strategic directions while maintaining its commitment to setting taxes at sensible levels. Since 2023, CMC has provided $58 million in property tax relief to local taxpayers.  

Five trustees took the oath of office to begin their four-year terms. Two trustees are new to the board: Nico Brown, who represents Eagle County, and Elizabeth Sass, who represents West Garfield County. Voters also elected three other current trustees to continue their service: Beth Helmke, who is from Salida, and Magda King, who is from Eagle County, were both reaffirmed as at-large trustees. Pitkin County Trustee Markey Butler was re-elected to serve her second term on the board.  

The trustees also selected a slate of leadership roles for the board, with Kerry Buhler (Summit County) as Chair, Gloria Perez (Lake County) as Vice Chair, Marianne Virgili (East Garfield County) as Secretary, and Bob Kuusinen (Steamboat Springs) as Treasurer.  

Also, trustees unanimously approved: 

• FY 2024 – 2025 Q4 Financials 

• FY 2024 – 2025 Reserve allocations 

• FY 2025 – 2026 Q1 Financials 

• Annual cybersecurity update