Montezuma County is facilitating a survey to gauge public opinion on a proposed countywide sales tax measure that could be introduced on the November 2022 ballot.
Although the county does not have a sales tax, implementing one has been discussed for years. The county proposes a 1.9% sales tax, which would generate about $6 million per year, said County Administrator Shak Powers.
Currently, 2022 projected expenditures surpass projected revenue by about $3 million, he said.
Revenue from sales tax would be used for public safety, infrastructure, roads, economic development and drought mitigation, he said.
The online survey will open Friday at 1 p.m., and randomly selected residents will receive texts and phone calls throughout the coming weeks. All registered voters are able to participate.
The survey will be available on the Montezuma County website homepage, as well as on the county’s Facebook page.
The survey will take about eight minutes to complete, and answers will be confidential, according to a press release.
Texts and emails will feature the Montezuma County logo, and will include a secure link to the online survey.
A 36% reduction in Kinder Morgan’s output has cost the county $2 million, Powers said.
“I don't know that we're going to see them rebound to full capacity again,” he said.
That, coupled with diminished property assessment rates, has left the county with two options: cut services or supplement revenue, Powers said.
“One of the advantages of a sales tax is there's a lot of people that come to Montezuma County that don't live here, and they're using all of our services, and they're not contributing while they're here,” he said. “Right now, the property owners carry the burden.”
Powers and the Montezuma County Board of County Commissioners will analyze survey results and decide whether to place a sales tax initiative on the November 2022 ballot or reduce county services. The specifics of cuts would be decided in future conversations, he said.
The survey, developed in collaboration with third-party research firm Magellan Strategies, cost about $15,000. Placing the measure on the ballot would likely cost the county $30,000 or more, Powers said. This number would fluctuate based on how many initiatives were included on the ballot.
Powers also emphasized that the sales tax would follow a previous temporary reduction in state legislative property taxes adopted in SB21-293 earlier this year.
