Commission posts public hearing for 1% gross receipts tax increase to shore up county budget

The Colfax County Commission voted to post a public hearing for an ordinance to increase the county gross receipts tax by one percentage point, an action commissioners said is intended to help cover budget shortfalls and reduce the need for service cuts.
Commissioner Trujillo said the county has already implemented cuts and that raising the gross receipts tax to the 1% level will fund remaining gaps and liabilities tied to county properties. Commissioners discussed the distributional effects and noted the tax is spread across transactions rather than targeted at property owners.
The vote approved posting the ordinance for a public hearing; it was not an adoption vote. Commissioners said public notice and a hearing will precede any final decision and that the ordinance posting is the next procedural step in considering a local gross receipts tax increase.