Sales tax collections in Archuleta County for the month of October 2025 were reported to be down 16.3 percent compared to figures from October 2024, according to data released by Archuleta County Finance Director Chad Eaton on Dec. 8.
Eaton’s report notes that the 16.3 percent decrease translates to a total of $284,462.27 less received in October 2025 compared to October 2024.
Sales tax collections have been up in the county every other month so far this year in the month-to-month comparisons with 2024, with the biggest increase coming in February, which showed a 11.6 percent increase, or $143,191 more.
The smallest increase in sales tax collections in the month-to-month comparison was in August, which saw just a .73 percent increase, or $12,169.21 more in August 2025 than in August 2024.
Sales tax collections in January were up 3.96 percent, or $67,565.22 more than January 2024; March collections were up 9.12 percent, or $129,489.44 more than March 2024; April collections were up 9.32 percent, or $117,621.93 more than April 2024; May collections were up 3.07 percent, or $43,987.42 more than May 2024; June collections were up 4.5 percent, or $75,391 more than June 2024; July collections were up 2.3 percent, or $42,590.88 more than July 2024; and September collections were up 7.78 percent, or $128,366.45 more than September 2024.
According to Eaton, prior to the October report, the last decrease in a month-to-month comparison was in the August 2024 to August 2023 comparison, which was an 11.38 percent decrease.
Eaton also notes that the county is still 3.11 percent higher in the year-to-date comparison of January through October. That translates to $481,315.07 more so far this year than the year prior.
In an interview, Commissioner John Ranson commented, “We’re still up on the year of what was budgeted, but it definitely had an impact,” in regard to the decrease reported for October sales tax collections.
Ranson also mentioned that lodgers have expressed at Pagosa Springs Area Tourism Board meetings that they were down in bookings and experiencing cancellations due to the flooding events that occurred on Oct. 11 and 14.
“I’m sure it didn’t help us,” Ranson said, explaining that both the tourism board and the lodgers’ association are “working pretty aggressively” on marketing campaigns promoting visitation after the flooding events.
Ranson added it “definitely shows what tourism means to us.”
For the month of October, Eaton notes that the Town of Pagosa Springs and Archuleta County received a total of $1,460,697.02 from the sales tax and retail marijuana sales tax revenues, with $728,925.05 going to the county and $728,781.34 going to the town.
Categories that were up in comparison to October 2024, according to Eaton’s data, include:
• Manufacturing at 14.05 percent, or $8,497.04.
• Information at 4.16 percent, or $1,114.54.
• Finance and Insurance at 5.01 percent, or $134.96.
• Professional, Scientific and Technical Services at 1.71 percent, or $200.15.
Categories that were down in the month-to-month comparison include:
• Construction at 52.48 percent, or $28,464.58.
• Retail Trade at 21.39 percent, or $221,255.09.
• Real Estate, Rental and Leasing at 15.69 percent, or $4,917.61.
• Accommodation and Food Services at 4.87 percent, or $13,289.49.
• Other Services (except Public Administration) at 15.78 percent, or $4,873.92.
• Miscellaneous at 9.82 percent, or $21,608.27.
clayton@pagosasun.com
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