Questions about Montezuma County's financial future dominated portions of a community town hall Tuesday evening, as residents pressed county commissioners on how they plan to replace millions of dollars in tax revenue lost as carbon dioxide production from Kinder Morgan continues to decline.
The discussion follows a warning delivered earlier this year by County Assessor Leslie Bugg, who reported the county has lost $2.7 million in tax revenue since 2023. Bugg said declining oil and gas production, particularly from Kinder Morgan's carbon dioxide operations, accounted for much of the decrease. Assessed values for oil and gas alone dropped by $55.6 million from 2025 to 2026.
During the town hall, several residents asked commissioners what the county's long-term strategy is for replacing that revenue and whether options such as tourism, renewable energy or a county sales tax are being considered.
Commissioners acknowledged the county will eventually need another source of revenue but said a proposed county sales tax is not expected to appear on this year's ballot after polling suggested it would be unlikely to pass.
Commissioner Gerald Koppenhafer said the county's long-standing reliance on Kinder Morgan revenue is no longer sustainable.
"I think there is a path forward, but the path forward is going to be whenever the residents of this county realize we have to have another source of income rather than just property tax to run this county on because over 50 percent for a long time has come from Kinder Morgan," Koppenhafer said.
Commissioners did not outline a specific replacement strategy during the meeting but said they plan to continue discussing the issue with residents through additional community town halls.
The meeting also included discussion about a proposed county blight ordinance, renewable energy development, and communication between county commissioners and the sheriff's office.
