Lawmakers hear mental-health concerns

Wednesday, October 7 2009

Northern Colorado Business Report
By Staff
October 6, 2009 --

FORT COLLINS - Six Northern Colorado lawmakers and a Larimer County commissioner heard individuals and mental-health agencies voice their concerns about the state's precarious financial situation and cuts to programs that may be needed to balance the budget.

Tuesday's annual Legislative Forum, hosted by Foothills Gateway and the Larimer Center for Mental Health, featured Rep. John Kefalas, D-Fort Collins; Rep. B. J. Nikkel, R-Loveland; Rep. Randy Fischer, D-Fort Collins; Sen. Kevin Lundberg, R-Berthoud; Rep. Brian DelGrosso, R-Loveland; Sen. Bob Bacon, D-Fort Collins; and Republican County Commissioner Kathay Rennels.

The elected officials told about 75 people in attendance that they strongly supported funding mental-health and substance-abuse services but all noted the constraints of an already tight state budget that still needs to be trimmed by another $240 million.

Still, legislators said they would do their best to shield treatment funding from the budget ax. "It comes down to wants versus needs," said Nikkel. "But cutting services like this is not an option."

Kefalas noted that the only way to maintain and even increase funding for services is to turn the state's economy around. "We have to continue to improve our economy," he said. "Ultimately, that is the best way to increase revenue to the state and to provide services to vulnerable populations."

Fischer told the audience that constitutional constraints on spending, including the Taxpayer's Bill of Rights, make it hard for Colorado to even save enough money to deal with hard times. "We are a chronically revenue-short state, even in the good times, to provide all the services we want," he said.

Fischer encouraged another ballot amendment similar to last year's defeated Amendment 51, a citizen initiative that would have increased the state's sales and use tax and directed the additional revenue to pay for services for people with developmental disabilities.

"You need to get something on the ballot and make sure it gets passed, because the state budget is on autopilot," Fischer said.