Colorado State Auditor Lawsuit Asking Denver District Court To Force Great Outdoors Colorado To Comply With Performance Audit
Colorado State Auditor Lawsuit Asking Denver District Court To Force Great Outdoors Colorado To Comply With Performance Audit
DISTRICT COURT
CITY AND COUNTY OF DENVER, COLORADO
City and County Building
1437 Bannock Street, Rm. 256
Denver, CO 80202
Dianne E. Ray, in her official capacity as the
Colorado State Auditor,
Plaintiff
v.
The State Board of the Great Outdoors
Colorado Trust Fund,
Defendant.
Counsel for the State Auditor:
CYNTHIA H. COFFMAN, Attorney General
LEEANN MORRILL, First Assistant Attorney
General*
CHRISTOPHER JACKSON, Assistant Attorney
General*
1300 Broadway, 6th Floor
Denver, CO 80203
Telephone: (720) 508-6159/6178
Fax: (720) 508-6041
E-Mail: [email protected]
[email protected]
Registration Numbers: 38742 and 49202
*Counsel of Record
COMPLAINT
Plaintiff Dianne E. Ray, in her official capacity as the Colorado State Auditor
(the State Auditor), by and through the Colorado Attorney General and
undersigned counsel, submits the following Complaint:
INTRODUCTION
1.
Under COLO. CONST., Art. XXVII, 6(3), the State Board of the Great
Outdoors Colorado Trust Fund, a political subdivision of the state, shall be
subject to annual audit by the state auditor, whose report shall be a public
document. On January 13, 2016, the State Auditor commenced her annual audit of
the Board, which it refused to submit to. Accordingly, the State Auditor brings this
mandamus action to compel the Board to comply with its legal duty to submit to an
annual audit.
PARTIES, JURISDICTION, AND VENUE
2.
Plaintiff Dianne E. Ray is a resident of the State of Colorado and
currently holds the appointed constitutional office of Colorado State Auditor.
3.
Defendant State Board of the Great Outdoors Colorado Trust Fund
(the Board), is a constitutionally created political subdivision of the State of
Colorado.
4.
The Board is an inferior governmental body or board for purposes of
C.R.C.P. (Rule) 106(a)(2).
5.
This Court has jurisdiction over the subject matter of this action under
Colo. Const. Art. VI, 9(1) and Rule 106(a)(2), or alternatively under Rule 57 and
the Uniform Declaratory Judgments Law, 13-51-101, et seq., C.R.S. (2015).
6.
7.
In the November 3, 1992 general election, the people of the State of
Colorado approved Article XXVII, a citizen initiated amendment to the Colorado
Constitution that created the Great Outdoors Colorado (GOCO) Program, with the
inten[t] that the net proceeds of every state-supervised lottery game operated
under the authority of Article XVIII, Section 2 shall be guaranteed and
permanently dedicated to the preservation, protection, enhancement and
management of the states wildlife, park, river, trail and open space heritage, except
as specifically provided in this article. COLO. CONST. art. XXVII, 1(1).
8.
The GOCO Program includes (a) wildlife program grants; (b) outdoor
recreation program grants; (c) program grants to specified entities for the purpose of
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identifying, acquiring, and managing unique open space and natural areas of
statewide significance; and (d) program grants to match local investments in
acquiring, developing, and managing open space, parks, and environmental
education facilities, and to encourage cooperative investments for the same
purposes by other public or private entities. COLO. CONST. art. XXVII, 1(1)(ad).
9.
To pay for the GOCO Program, Article XXVII established a GOCO
Trust Fund in the state treasury and directed that a portion of all proceeds from all
programs operated under the authority of Article XVIII, Section 2 of the Colorado
Constitution, net of prizes and expenses are set aside, allocated, allotted, and
continuously appropriated in trust to the Board of the Trust Fund[.] COLO.
CONST. art. XXVII, 2 and 3.
10.
All expenditures from the Trust Fund must be made in furtherance of
the GOCO Program and [t]he Board of the Trust Fund shall have the duty to
assure that expenditures are made for the purposes set forth in this section and in
section 6, and that the amounts expended over a period of years be substantially
equal[.] COLO. CONST. art. XXVII, 5.
11.
Article XXVII established a seventeen-member Board to direct
disbursements of expendable income from the Trust Fund, to administer the Trust
Fund, and to administer the distribution of grants in furtherance of the GOCO
Program. COLO. CONST. art. XXVII, 6(1) and (2).
12.
The Board is a political subdivision of the State of Colorado. COLO.
CONST. art. XXVII, 6(3).
13.
The Board is subject to annual audit by the State Auditor, whose
report must be a public document. COLO. CONST. art. XXVII, (6)(3).
14.
The last annual audit of the Board was for its fiscal year ending on
June 30, 2015.
15.
A public report of the last annual audit of the Board was issued on
November 17, 2015.
16.
On January 13, 2016, the State Auditor commenced her next annual
audit of the Board.
17.
Specifically, the State Auditor elected to conduct a performance audit
of the Board, which will provide objective analysis to assist management and those
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28.
Rule 106(a)(2) authorizes this Court to grant mandamus relief when
an inferior governmental body or board charged with performing an official duty
fails or refuses to act.
29.
30.
Auditor.
31.
The State Auditor commenced an annual audit of the Board on
January 13, 2016.
32.
The Board has refused or failed to submit to the annual audit
commenced by the State Auditor.
33.
34.
The State Auditor hereby incorporates the allegations contained in
paragraphs 1 through 33 above as if recited herein.
35.
Alternatively, if mandamus relief is not available, then the State
Auditor seeks a declaration of the scope of her power to conduct a performance audit
as her annual audit of the Board, and the extent of the Boards duty to submit to
same.
36.
The State Auditor further seeks an injunction requiring the Board to
fully submit to the performance audit she commenced on January 13, 2016.
PRAYER FOR RELIEF
WHEREFORE, the State Auditor respectfully requests that this Court grant
the following relief:
A.
B.
C.
D.
Grant such other and further relief as this Court deems just and
proper.
s/ LeeAnn Morrill
LEEANN MORRILL, 38742*
First Assistant Attorney General
CHRISTOPHER JACKSON, 49202*
Public Officials Unit
State Services Section
Attorneys for Plaintiff
*Counsel of Record