Monnie Gore figures it’s just a matter of time before El Paso County government comes to a screeching halt.

Gore, deputy county administrator, oversees the county’s facilities, including air conditioning, heating, electrical systems, roofs and parking lots.

Facilities have been starved of funding for major repairs and preventive maintenance for years due to budget cuts.

“The failures will often require emergency repairs which are significantly more costly,” he said.

Gore is among county officials who recently outlined “critical needs” to the Citizens Budget Oversight Committee, which will make recommendations to county commissioners this month.

However, it’s unclear how anything will be funded, considering the county expects a $3 million reduction in spending next year and plans no revenue-raising ballot measure in November. A sample of needs:

– The county has 150 vehicles older than 10 years, crippling responses to snow storms. Age also means repairs are seven times higher for a 10-year-old truck compared to half that age. Replacement: $10.5 million.

– The computer program handling regulatory compliance, payroll, benefits, security and systems maintenance won’t have technical support after June 2010, placing all those uses at risk. Upgrade cost: $1.8 million.

– The Department of Human Services needs $3.5 million just to match federal and state grant programs to provide required services, such as child protection. Also, its employees are the worst paid in a seven-county area, falling below even Teller County.

– Waits are so long at the Clerk and Recorder’s Office due to a 20 percent staffing cut that it gets “daily input from angry customers.”

–

Call the writer at 636-0238

This image product released by Nokona Brands shows the O.T.R laptop bag with a New York Yankee logo. Photo by (AP Photo/Nokona Brands)

unknown