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Fraser residents to vote on Gallagher stabilization measure

Fraser will likely join Winter Park in calling for a special election this November to ask voters to stabilize property tax rates, also known as de-Gallagherizing.

On Wednesday, the town board approved ballot language for a question asking whether Fraser can adjust its mill levies to maintain the current 7.15% residential property tax assessment rate.

The town still needs to approve an intergovernmental agreement with Grand County to perform the special election, which Town Manager Jeff Durbin said he would bring to the board at their next meeting.



Most board members supported the special election, although Trustee Parnell Quinn shared concerns about the uncertainty of the state measure and his distaste for raising taxes.

In other business:



• Fraser’s new postmaster general allayed concerns that mail-in voting would potentially be impacted by the new post office standards. During the board meeting, the postmaster general said he has not experienced delay issues with mail in letters or envelopes, but packages are seeing a bigger delay. 

“Since the new postmaster general has come in, there has been, I guess, fear for mail-in ballots, but nobody needs to worry about that because it’s strictly parcels that are having the issues,” he said. “(Fraser’s) mail service has not changed.”

President Donald Trump appointed a new chief postmaster general in June, who introduced a plan that eliminates overtime for postal workers and orders that mail be kept until the next day if postal distribution centers are running late.

The postmaster general said packages for the Fraser post office, and those in Granby and Grand Lake as well, are having their packages dropped off in Winter Park. Due to recent changes in how the post office can operate, the postmaster general said his staff are having to use their own vehicles to pick up the packages from Winter Park.

While staff are reimbursed mileage, the post office doesn’t insure personal vehicles. The postmaster general also noted that one round trip from Grand Lake to Winter Park to get packages is costing around $30,000 in mileage and staff time.

Board members approved sending a letter of support to the US Forest Service for a proposed land exchange between the agency and Grand County Ranches. 

• The town adopted a new model traffic code that aligns with the statewide code and reflects recent changes to traffic laws.

• Durbin informed the board that the town will likely have to relocate a power easement to the water treatment plant after finding that the current easement is outside the town’s right of way. The town expects the adjustment to cost between $10,000-$15,000.

• Paving on County Road 72 is expected to begin soon.


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