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Garfield Co. cashing in on oil and gas

DONNA GRAYgarfield county correspondent

GLENWOOD SPRINGS – The 20th century has brought a bountiful harvest to Garfield County – a harvest of natural gas that has steadily cut resident’s property taxes in the west end.”We have seen huge increases,” County Assessor Shannon Hurst said.The county’s tax revenues from natural gas production have grown from $201 million in 2001 to a whopping $1.7 billion in 2006.Among the greatest beneficiaries of this windfall are the school districts. Garfield Re-2 School District, which includes schools in New Castle, Silt and Rifle, saw its share of the tax pie grow from $116 million in 2001 to $987 million this year, Hurst said. Garfield School District 16 schools in Battlement Mesa and Parachute received $672 million this year, up from $71 million in 2001. Its revenues more than doubled in 2006 from $319 million last year.


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