Local government is the level of government closest to the people, responsible for making decisions that directly impact the community. In Erie, local government operates within multiple jurisdictions—meaning it falls with the jurisdictions of both Boulder and Weld counties, as well as the State of Colorado, and the United States. Each layer of government has a baseline of laws to follow. As the jurisdiction gets smaller, regulations focus on matters of local interest, but must still adhere to the minimum regulations created above it.

Erie is governed by a seven-person Town Council, which includes a mayor elected at large and six council members elected from three districts. The Town also collaborates regionally with neighboring communities like Broomfield, Dacono, Frederick, and Lafayette, along with State agencies such as the Colorado Department of Transportation (CDOT) and Energy and Carbon Management Commission (ECMC), and other governmental entities including Saint Vrain Valley School District (SVVSD), Boulder Valley School District (BVSD), the Regional Transportation District (RTD), Mountain View Fire Protection District (MVFPD), and High Plains Library District (HPLD).

Local government works best when residents participate in their government. You can do so by attending Town Council meetings on Tuesday evenings or advisory board meetings, with schedules available online. Local government should reflect the needs and desires of its residents—so get involved, share your ideas, and help shape the future of Erie! Visit our website to sign up for regular newsletters, find all social media accounts, and learn about other ways to participate.

The Town of Erie has multiple bodies with varying responsibilities when it comes to serving the Erie community. These bodies all meet at Town Hall (645 Holbrook Street). This includes:

• Town Council (elected by Erie voters)
  • Regular Meetings: 2nd and 4th Tuesdays at 6:30 p.m.
  • Study Sessions: 1st and 3rd Tuesdays at 6 p.m.
    
• Planning Commission
  • 1st and 3rd Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.
    
• Urban Renewal Authority
  • Meets as needed in conjunction with Town Council Regular Meetings
    
• Tree Board
  • 2nd Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.
    
• Airport Economic Development Advisory Board
  • 3rd Thursday at 6:30 p.m.
    
• Sustainability Advisory Board
  • 1st Wednesday at 6:30 p.m.
    
• Open Space & Trails Advisory Board
  • 2nd Monday at 6:30 p.m.
    
• Historic Preservation Advisory Board
  • 4th Monday at 6:30 p.m.
    
• Board of Adjustment
  • Meets as needed.

The Town of Erie has multiple bodies with varying responsibilities when it comes to serving the Erie community. This includes the Town Council (elected by Erie voters) and various appointed boards and commissions such as the Planning Commission, Tree Board, Airport Economic Development Advisory Board, Sustainability Advisory Board, Open Space & Trails Advisory Board, Historic Preservation Advisory Board, and the Board of Adjustment.

Each of these bodies have specific responsibilities and goals in making the Town of Erie the successful community it is today. These dedicated volunteers and elected officials are considering important things that may have an impact on everyday life for residents now and in the future.

Keep up with what is on their meeting agendas in a few ways:

• Visit the Town Calendar to view upcoming meetings.
  • Once the agenda is published for a meeting (typically by Friday, the week before a scheduled meeting) the link to view that Agenda will be available in the top, right corner of the calendar item.
  • 
• Bookmark the Agenda Center to view past, current, and upcoming meetings.
  • You can search by topic area, within each council/board/commission, by date, and any number of other ways.
  • Agendas, memos, meeting notes, and meeting recordings are available here.
• Watch live meetings or recorded meetings after the fact on the Town’s website.
  • Each video has the agenda and meeting information available directly within the same viewing window as the meeting recording.

The Town Council and Planning Commission meeting in Council Chambers at Town Hall (645 Holbrook Street) on their scheduled meeting dates. Participants can attend in person or online to share comments with these bodies. All other advisory board will meet in the Community Room at Town Hall on their scheduled dates and public comment is only available in person (not online) for these meetings.

Many properties in Erie have utility easements — designated areas that allow crews to install and maintain essential infrastructure like water, power, gas, and fiber lines. Even if you didn’t request service, you might see crews marking underground lines, placing flags, or accessing your meters.

It’s all part of keeping things running safely and smoothly.

Click the video below to play and learn more:

The Town of Erie, as with all cities, towns, counties, and the State in Colorado, must create and maintain a Balanced Budget. A Balanced Budget is a financial plan in which total sources are equal to total uses, or in other words, revenues equal expenditures. We are not allowed to spend (or plan to spend) more money than we have.

Main Revenue Source

Municipalities depend heavily on sales/use tax revenue. That means the Town collects a percent of every item or service purchased within its boundaries. For 2025, Erie’s sales/use tax makes up 50% of the General Fund revenue budget.

Town revenue sources are listed below from the largest sources to the smallest:

• Sales Tax (this is nearly 50%)
• Development-related Taxes & Fees
• Property Taxes (this is roughly 10%)
• Administrative Fees
• Recreation Fees
• Landfill Fees
• Other (franchise taxes, highway tax, vehicle tax, etc.)
• Miscellaneous Fees (Business License fines, grant funding, reimbursements, etc.)
• Oil & Gas Fees
• Transfers from Other Funds
• Investment Income

Budget Timeline

The Town aligns the fiscal calendar with the typical January to December calendar. According to State law, the budget officer (our Finance Director) must submit a draft, proposed budget to the Council no later than Oct. 15 each year and the Council must then publicly post a Notice of Budget so interested residents can also review the proposal.

• Budget Kickoff: Begins each year in May
• Internal Review: July-September
  • Each department submits requests and discusses those needs with the Finance Team and the Executive Budget Team (a group of selected Directors who sit in on every meeting and review requests as a whole).
• 1st Public Hearing: In October, following the proposed budget becoming available on Oct. 15, the first Public Hearing is held.
• Budget Adoption: Target for adoption is in November.
  • State law required any entity which levies property tax to approve/adopt their budget before certifying the mill levy for that entity. Mill levies must be certified no later than Dec. 15 - so the budget must be approved before Dec. 15.

When paying your property taxes, a certain portion of your overall bill total is given to the Town of Erie. Other entities that receive portions of the total include school districts, metro districts, the county, and others.

Calculating Your Taxes

Let's use some sample numbers to understand where these taxes come from and where they go. For 2025, the mill levy rate used to calculate your property tax paid to the Town of Erie will be 13.382. See more in the table here:

Property Tax Rate	2024	2025
General Operating Funds	7.288	7.288
Trails and Natural Areas Acquisition	4.000	4.000
Erie Community Center Construction Bond	1.790	1.791
Public Safety Building Construction Bond	0.303	0.303
Total	13.381	13.382

The equation is:

(Home’s Actual Value - $50,00) x 6.25% Assessment Rate = Home’s Assessed Value

Assessed Value x Town’s Mill Levy Rate (13.382)/1000 = What you pay to Erie

For example:

If you own a home with an Actual Value of $600,000, your home’s assessed value is: ($600,000 - $50,000) x 6.25% = $34,375. Property tax due to the Town of Erie is: $34,375 x 13.382/1000 = $460.00

The average homeowner in Erie pays $648 per year, or $54 per month, in property taxes to the Town.