Town of Superior claims Boulder County isn't paying its share to help the Marshall Fire victims

As bills mount from the Marshall Fire, the Town of Superior is accusing Boulder County of not providing a dime to help its residents rebuild. Superior trustees fired off a letter to county commissioners, saying the county is flush with cash and it needs to share some of the wealth with those who have nothing.

While there are signs of recovery in Superior, 30 rebuilding permits have been issued and 30 more are in the pipeline, the losses are mindboggling and they have taken a toll. One out of every eight homes was destroyed in the fire and more than 90% of them are uninsured or underinsured. In an effort to help, the town eliminated use taxes and cut permit fees in half.

"We expected the state and county to do the same thing," says Superior Trustee Neal Shah. "That, unfortunately, has not happened. Our residents, who are trying to rebuild, are still looking at $10,000 to $15,000 in fees."   

Shah has lost patience. Two of Superior's top retailers are still closed, he says, and tax revenue is down 11%. The town has also spent nearly $2 million to restore its water treatment facility and its reserve is now down to $5 million from the $10 million it had saved over the last decade. Meanwhile, Shah says, Boulder County has at least $50 million in its reserve - $16 million over its target amount.  It also received $60 million from the American Rescue Plan. 

Yet, Shah says, the county hasn't provided any direct cash support to Superior, which contributes $6.5 million a year in tax revenue to the county, "My feeling is we disproportionately pay into Boulder County for what we receive in services. We haven't had a transportation project funded (by the county) since 2010." 

In their letter to county commissioners, Superior trustees asked the county to refund the $4 million in use taxes it'll receive from fire rebuilds - taxes homeowners paid when the home was built the first time.

"Now they're asked to pay for it all over again on a house they had no reason to rebuild," says Shah. "I don't think the government should benefit a single dollar from a homeowner that's rebuilding."  

The town is also asking for $5.5 million to help cover expenses like debris removal, which the county is only covering for homeowners in unincorporated Boulder County right now.

Shah says he understands the county wants to save some money for a rainy day, "Yes we want to save some of that for a rainy day. This is a rainy day. It is an utter disaster for the community. This is where government should be spending its money."

In addition to money, trustees are also asking the county to manage its open space better. Shah says the entire west side of Superior, where the fire originated, is Boulder County open space that's rated extreme fire risk and yet, he says, the county has done little to manage it.

Trustees have a meeting scheduled with county commissioners at the end of the month. CBS4 reached out to the county for comment regarding the letter. A spokesperson said only that they are reviewing it.