The biggest city on the Western Slope faces a significant budget gap. Grand Junction hopes to narrow its $2.1 million budget shortfall by asking city employees if some would be willing to quit. Grand Junction City Manager Greg Caton says the city's general fund is maintained with gas severance taxes and city sales tax and neither is keeping up with projections.
"What we believe is happening, in the local economy a lot of the local residents are struggling from the oil and gas industry and that sluggishness. Therefore we're not seeing our revenues being realized," he says.
The economic picture in Grand Junction stands in stark contrast to the metro Denver boom. Colorado Matters host Ryan Warner spoke with Amy Hamilton, a reporter for the Grand Junction Daily Sentinel who's covered the issue.
