Weyerhaeuser closure on tax rolls may not be as severe

Weyerhaeuser’s closure of two mills in Columbia Falls could have a tax revenue impact of about $48,000 if the company liquidates the mills and tears down the buildings, an analysis by city manager Susan Nicosia found.

That represents about 3 percent of the city’s total tax revenue, Nicosia noted in a recent report to the Columbia Falls City Council. Total tax revenue in 2016-17 for the city was about $1.416 million.

The state’s original forecast indicated the tax hit to the city would be about $100,000 in lost revenue under the same scenario, so the city’s numbers are more encouraging.

Nicosia said she didn’t expect the company to tear the buildings down however, which would mean the company would still pay some taxes on the structures, unless it sells them. There have been businesses interested in the mills. The company has yet to announce what it will do with them.

The closure isn’t just about taxes, however. The mills also use a lot of city water. The mills as a whole represent about 9.72 percent of the city’s total billing for July water usage, though sewer usage was just under 1 percent of total billing.