News
GRAND JUNCTION — Of 7,260 people who work in the oil and gas fields of Colorado, nearly half — 3,336 people — live in Mesa County, reported Mesa County Commissioner Craig Meis.
The companies that extract the minerals, whether it’s coal, oil, gas, or gold, pay for impacts created by those employees in the form of severance taxes.
The payment is around $2,400 per employee per year, or $8 million to Mesa County and municipalities as well, Meis said.
Last year, Mesa County reaped more than $1.9 million from this program from the 1,216 people documented to have lived in the county and worked in the oil and gas field and the 49 people who work in the coal industry.
Meis, along with two additional county commissioners from counties other than Mesa, three city council members from throughout the state and representation from the Department of Local Affairs, all sit on the state oversight committee that determines where the impact money should go.
The destination of the funds is based on where the employee lives.
Now, as a result of past challenges filed by Mesa County, each employee’s registered address is plotted on a geographic information system map.
From that information, the oversight committee pinpoints whether the employee lives in Mesa County or, for example, the city of Grand Junction, and from that information, the state Department of Local Affairs verifies which municipality or county the money should be sent.
Last year, the City of Grand Junction got $1.5 million from the 980 oil and gas workers and 28 coal workers who called Grand Junction home. That year, Collbran reaped $26,443 from its 17 employees, Palisade took in $59,108 from its 38 employees, and Fruita logged in 269 employees at $411,901.
In 2006, Mesa County received over $2.9 million, and the city of Grand Junction got more than $1.7 million. Fruita received $569,660, and DeBeque received $154,968. Palisade that year got $113,643, and Collbran received $27,549.
In 2005, before the oversight committee was formed, the city of Grand Junction received more money, because more workers listed Grand Junction as their home, even though they technically lived outside city limits, in unincorporated Mesa County.
That year, Grand Junction received more than $1.47 million, while Mesa County got $1.1 million. Fruita received $151,813, and Palisade got $35,320, while Collbran took in $9,915.
Reach Marija B. Vader at mvader@gjfreepress.com.
The companies that extract the minerals, whether it’s coal, oil, gas, or gold, pay for impacts created by those employees in the form of severance taxes.
The payment is around $2,400 per employee per year, or $8 million to Mesa County and municipalities as well, Meis said.
Last year, Mesa County reaped more than $1.9 million from this program from the 1,216 people documented to have lived in the county and worked in the oil and gas field and the 49 people who work in the coal industry.
Meis, along with two additional county commissioners from counties other than Mesa, three city council members from throughout the state and representation from the Department of Local Affairs, all sit on the state oversight committee that determines where the impact money should go.
The destination of the funds is based on where the employee lives.
Now, as a result of past challenges filed by Mesa County, each employee’s registered address is plotted on a geographic information system map.
From that information, the oversight committee pinpoints whether the employee lives in Mesa County or, for example, the city of Grand Junction, and from that information, the state Department of Local Affairs verifies which municipality or county the money should be sent.
Last year, the City of Grand Junction got $1.5 million from the 980 oil and gas workers and 28 coal workers who called Grand Junction home. That year, Collbran reaped $26,443 from its 17 employees, Palisade took in $59,108 from its 38 employees, and Fruita logged in 269 employees at $411,901.
In 2006, Mesa County received over $2.9 million, and the city of Grand Junction got more than $1.7 million. Fruita received $569,660, and DeBeque received $154,968. Palisade that year got $113,643, and Collbran received $27,549.
In 2005, before the oversight committee was formed, the city of Grand Junction received more money, because more workers listed Grand Junction as their home, even though they technically lived outside city limits, in unincorporated Mesa County.
That year, Grand Junction received more than $1.47 million, while Mesa County got $1.1 million. Fruita received $151,813, and Palisade got $35,320, while Collbran took in $9,915.
Reach Marija B. Vader at mvader@gjfreepress.com.
