Greenlee County revenue running above projection; administrator warns election bills could raise costs

County Administrator Derek Rippert told the Greenlee County Board of Supervisors that the county is running about $600,000 above its shared sales-tax projection seven months into the fiscal year, but he urged caution because mining-related severance tax volatility and proposed state election laws could affect next year's revenue and election costs.

RIPPERT SAID the county projected $5,100,000 in gross annual revenue from state-shared sales tax; the current figures show the county about $620,000 above that projection. He also said the county's local half-cent sales tax was projected at about $1,440,000 and is roughly $18,000 above projections to date. "We're about $600,000 above projected revenue seven months into our fiscal year," Rippert said.

The revenue picture matters because the board begins work this spring on fiscal 2026 projections and potential budget changes. Rippert said a significant portion of the state-shared sales-tax stream comes from severance taxes tied to mineral extraction at local mines and that those receipts are sensitive to…