Re: New HQ for the D&S

Money not spent is money earned or retained, but in sales of land in the magnitude that the D&SNG has done, I don't think property taxes was much of a consideration. The entire railroad operation in San Juan County pays slightly more than $8000 a year in property taxes, down sharply from D&RGW days when the local taxes generated close to $25,000 a year. Property taxes in Colorado for public utilities are assessed by the state and are based on the mainline miles of track in each county divided into the total assessment, and that includes land, improvements, and equipment. Thus, the D&RGW track mileage had a much higher valuation under the D&RGW than it does under current ownership. The only thing that affects the taxes paid by the railroad on a local level is the mill levy established by the varying tax entities.
Our local assessor, Judy Zimmerman, recently told me that Charlie Bradshaw protested every valuation and tax assessment and was generally successful in driving down what he had to pay.