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<br />• classrooms, construct new schools, or bus students to other less crowded schools in <br />Silt or New Castle (Garfield County RE-2 School District 1998). <br />The City of Parachute and the community of Battlement Mesa lie within the <br />Garfield County RE-16 School District. According to the District, the local high <br />school is currently near capacity, while the middle school and elementary schools <br />have capacity to serve moderate numbers of additional students (Garfield County <br />RE-16 School District 1998). <br />7.14.4 Local Government Fiscal Conditions and Revenues from Mining Activities <br />Mining operations contribute considerable revenue to various local, state, and <br />federal government entities through payment of various royalties and taxes. The <br />following types of revenues are typically generated by mining operations similar to <br />the proposed project. <br />7.14.4.1 Property Tax Revenue <br />Among the most important sources of revenue in Rio Blanco and Garfield Counties <br />are property taxes levied on real property located within these counties. This <br />important revenue source is used by the counties to fund a wide variety of services <br />and community facilities. Given their generally high assessed value, mining, oil <br />• and gas, and other types of industrial operations often contribute a significant <br />portion of a county's property tax base. <br />It is interesting to note that the property tax bases of the two counties are <br />significantly different as to size and composition. In Rio Blanco County, fully 79 <br />percent of total assessed valuation is composed of oil and gas, industrial, mining, <br />and other natural resources operations. Public utilities comprise 10 percent of the <br />county's assessed value, residential and commercial properties account for just 8 <br />percent, and agricultural and vacant lands make up the remaining 3 percent. Total <br />assessed valuation in Rio Blanco County was approximately $276.4 million in 1997 <br />(Rio Blanco County Assessor 1997). <br />By contrast, in Garfield County, total assessed valuation is dominated by residential <br />(49 percent) and commercial (24 percent) properties. Oil and gas, industrial, mining, <br />and other natural resources operations comprise just 11 percent of assessed <br />valuation, public utilities comprise 12 percent, and agriculture lands comprise the <br />remaining 4 percent. Total assessed valuation in Garfield County was <br />approximately $409 million in 1996 (Garfield County Assessor 1996). This difference <br />in the composition of the property tax bases of the two counties reflects the contrast <br />between the more diversified economy of Garfield County, which is based more on <br />commercial activity, tourism, and real estate, and the dominance of valuable oil and <br />gas and other natural resources industries in Rio Blanco County. Figure 7-36 <br />provides charts illustrating the various sources of property tax revenues in Rio <br />Blanco and Garfield Counties. <br />Amencan Soda, L.L.P. 7_54 <br />Commercial Mine Plan <br />August 18, 1998 <br />