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County Budget 101

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Breaking Down the Dollars

Understanding how Gilpin County’s budget works is important for everyone who lives, works, or visits here. The County provides a wide range of services—from roads and public safety to public health and human services—and all of it depends on how we collect and allocate revenue.

To make the budget more transparent and accessible, we’ve created County Budget 101: a series of short explainers that break down where County dollars come from and how they are used. Each post highlights a major source of revenue or expense, showing both its importance and its challenges.

This is a work in progress and new articles will be added approximately weekly.

👉 Explore the articles below to see how Gilpin County is funded and how those dollars support your community.

Revenue: Where the Money Comes From

Gilpin County relies on a mix of revenue sources. These articles explain each piece of the pie, what it funds, and the challenges that come with it.

  1. Property & Lodging Taxes (≈17%)
  2. Gaming Revenue (≈47%)
  3. State & Federal Funds (Intergovernmental) (≈23%) - future article
  4. Other Revenues (Fees, Licenses, etc.) - future article

Expenses: Where the Money Goes

Revenue tells only half the story. This section explains how those dollars are spent across services and departments.

  1. Public Safety (Sheriff, Jail, Dispatch, etc.) - future article
  2. Public Works (Road & Bridge, Infrastructure) - future article
  3. Human Services & Public Health - future article
  4. Parks, Recreation, and Community Facilities - future article
  5. General Government & Administration - future article
Total Revenue Pie Chart. Taxes 17%. Gaming Taxes 47%. Intergovernmental 23%. Licenses & Permits 1%. Charges for Services 8%. Interest Income 3%. Miscellaneous 1%.

Revenue

Property Tax Breakdown

Property taxes combined make up just 22.7% of total County revenue—and residential property taxes are only a small portion of that total.

Here’s where property taxes are actually collected from in Gilpin County, based on 2024 Assessed Values (County mills only, not including special and educational districts or temporary tax credits):

  • Vacant Land: 8.20%
  • Residential: 21.19%
  • Commercial: 67.07%
  • Industrial: 0.03%
  • Agricultural: 0.07%
  • Natural Resources: 3.44%

Understanding these numbers helps put the County budget in perspective: property taxes are only one piece of the funding puzzle.

Gaming Revenue

How Colorado’s Limited Gaming Fund Works

  1. Collection of Revenue
    All revenue from Colorado’s limited gaming—gambling tax revenues, license and application fees, and related payments—goes into the Limited Gaming Fund. Before any distribution, administrative costs for the Gaming Division and two months’ operating expenses are covered.
  2. Distribution Formula
    After expenses are paid, the remaining funds are distributed according to the constitutional and statutory formula:
    • 50% to the state share (General Fund and other designated state cash funds)
    • 28% to the Colorado State Historical Fund
      1. 20% of that (i.e., 5.6% of total) goes to Black Hawk, Central City, and Cripple Creek, based on revenue generated
      2. 80% goes to historic preservation statewide
    • 12% to Gilpin and Teller Counties, in proportion to gaming revenue generated in each
    • 10% to the cities of Black Hawk, Central City, and Cripple Creek, again in proportion to local gaming revenues
  3. The “Extended” Gaming Fund—Amendments 50 & 77
    Separate from the Limited Gaming Fund, there's an Extended Limited Gaming Fund tied to expanded gaming authorized by state constitutional Amendments 50 (2008) and 77 (2020): 
    Its distribution is:
    • 78% to community, junior, and local district colleges for financial aid and instruction (allocated by enrollment)
    • 12% to Gilpin and Teller Counties, proportionate to tax revenues in each county
    • 10% to central gaming cities, again based on revenue share in each city

Gilpin County’s Share—How It’s Calculated

Gilpin County receives two distinct revenue streams:

  1. From the Original Limited Gaming Fund (12%)
    Gilpin’s portion is based solely on the share of gaming revenue generated in Gilpin County relative to Teller County.
    • For example: if Gilpin produces 70% of the combined gaming revenue from both counties, Gilpin gets 70% of that 12%.
  2. From the Extended Limited Gaming Fund (12%)
    Similar proportional methodology applies here: Gilpin’s share reflects its portion of the extended gaming tax revenue compared to Teller.

    These two mechanisms ensure Gilpin County is compensated in line with its gaming activity.

Why It Matters

Funds help offset the infrastructural and social impacts of gaming on local communities and also support educational and historical initiatives statewide.

Gaming revenue is by far the County’s single largest source of income, accounting for close to half of all annual revenue (about 47%). While essential for funding services and infrastructure, this revenue is also volatile—subject to change based on broader economic conditions and visitor activity.

In addition to gaming taxes, Gilpin also collects property taxes from casino properties, which provide another important source of local revenue.

Summary

Colorado’s gaming revenue model ensures counties like Gilpin receive funds in proportion to their role in the industry. For Gilpin, gaming revenue—along with casino property taxes—makes up a critical part of the County’s budget, sustaining services while also presenting challenges due to its year-to-year unpredictability. 

Intergovernmental Funds

The second largest share of Gilpin County’s budget comes from intergovernmental funds — about 23% of total revenue.

These dollars often arrive as grants, reimbursements, or public sector partnership agreements for specific programs like Human Services, Public Health, Parks & Recreation, or Sheriff’s Office projects or programs. Because many of these are restricted funds, they can’t simply be reallocated to other County needs.

Gilpin County receives support through the Colorado Department of Local Affairs’ (DOLA) Limited Gaming Impact Grant Program, which helps fund public services and infrastructure in response to gaming-related impacts—often through pass-through agreements with local entities directly affected by gaming activities in Black Hawk and Central City.

It’s also important to note that these revenues can be volatile. With known and anticipated state and federal cuts, Gilpin’s intergovernmental funding may shrink significantly — making the County more dependent on other revenue sources.