County Receives Funds Through Local Option Taxes
Marijuana Sales
Roosevelt County is receiving a notable amount of funds through local option excise taxes for both medical and non-medical marijuana.
During the county commissioners’ weekly meeting on Tuesday, Dec. 30, Commissioner Robert Toavs reported that the county received a quarterly check of $69,580 for the months of August through October.
Roosevelt County residents voted in favor of establishing local option excise taxes for both medical and non-medical marijuana during the primary election on June 7, 2023.
Through the 3 percent special option tax, funds are split with 50 percent going to the county, 5 percent to the state and the rest divided among the cities in the county based on population.
“That’s a pretty good chunk of money for the quarter,” Toavs said.
The county received about $75,000 through the process the previous quarter.
Commissioner Gordon Oelkers said the county felt like it would receive about $75,000 a year when the process began, and now it’s close to that amount in a single quarter. The check received by the county for the first quarter back in 2023 was $7,769.35.
Toavs said he finds it amazing the money the county is receiving through the tax and the money spent on sales in Roosevelt County.
Estimated sales in the county for September were $620,479 or $20,682 spent daily. Sales in August were $625,068 or $20,163 daily. Estimated sales in neighboring Richland County have been even higher. During the month of August, Richland County experienced $1,015,979 in sales.
During the public comment portion of the meeting, Oelkers said that all county offices will use mt.gov at the end of their email addresses beginning the start of the new year. He said that messages using the old email address will still be received by county employees.
“It’s just more of a secured website,” Oelkers explained of the switch.
Commissioners approved the contract for the Power River County superintendent of schools to preside over a hearing involving three Roosevelt County school districts on Jan. 16.
