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Tyrannosaurus street signPhoto: Jeffrey Beall · CC BY 4.0
Town Hall · Dinosaur

Dinosaur spent more per resident in 2022 than 79% of similar cities

Dinosaur’s town government spent $704,000 on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, about $2,108 per resident. Water and other utilities ($140,000) are counted separately.

Day-to-day spending, 2022
$704,000
year to December 31, 2022
Per resident, 2022
$2,108
In 2022: $2,108, more than 79% of 150 similar cities
Long-term debt
$158,000
end of 2022, reported
Town staff, 2022
5
full-time · 9 part-time · March payroll $41,258
Typical tax bill
$256
a year

What stands out about how Dinosaur is run

Read from the town’s budget and official records.

Spends more than most similar citiesIn 2022: $2,108 per resident, more than 79% of 150 similar cities.Runs its own water & sewer38% of day-to-day spending goes to water, sewer and trash (2022).A shared school districtShares Moffat County School District RE-1 with 1 other town.
Compared with similar places

$2,108 per resident in 2022: more than 79% of them

Dinosaur’s day-to-day spending in 2022 ($2,108 per resident, hospital and utilities left out) against 150 Colorado cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools: the median was $990, and the middle half spent $624–$1,732. Dinosaur spent more than 79% of them.

Middle half of the group, $624–$1,732Median $990Dinosaur

Includes sewer and trash ($184,000), as the Census Bureau counts them. Later years come from a Census sample, so the comparison stays on 2022. How Town Hall compares budgets →

The group
150

Colorado cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools, 2022 Census of Governments (every government counted that year; Dinosaur itself left out).

Your share of the 2022 budget

About $2,108 per resident a year, or $5.78 a day

Day-to-day services only. The biggest line: police, at 44%.

Where the money comes from
Other taxes & licenses 52%From other local governments 21%Sales taxes 17%Utility sales 3%From the state 2%Interest, fines & other 2%Fees & charges 2%Property taxes 1%
Not in the receipt.Building projects $780,000; interest on debt $9,000. With these and the enterprises, the whole budget was $1.6 million.
Over the years

No trend yet

Dinosaur reported only 2022 to the Census Bureau, so there is no trend yet.

Property tax

The typical homeowner pays $256 a year

Every local property tax on the home: town, schools and county.

What homes cost →

Typical yearly bill next door and statewide

Colorado$2,602
Dinosaur$256
$256
typical bill a year
Your own bill

The Housing page’s calculator splits a monthly payment into loan, tax and insurance at Dinosaur’s rate.

Can I afford it? →

The median bill homeowners report to the Census survey (bills of $10,000+ are reported as “$10,000+”). The effective rate is that bill ÷ the median home value: a rough guide, not the official tax rate. In a town this small the estimate has a wide margin.

Tax bills are one input to Dinosaur’s Cost of living grade. Cost of living in Dinosaur →

Who runs it

Who’s in charge in Dinosaur

Names change after every election, so we link to the source that keeps them current.

Check Dinosaur’s own website for current officialsWe name an official only when a public source lists a current term. None does for Dinosaur yet.
Who works for Dinosaur

One full-time town employee for every 67 residents

On the payroll in March 2022, from the Census Bureau’s Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll. Residents: the Census population in the 2022 finance file (334).

By department full-time, plus part-time, March 2022

Administration & buildings1 + 7 pt
Police3
Parks & libraries1
Courts, inspections & corrections0 + 1 pt
Water & other utilities0 + 1 pt
5
full-time
9
part-time
$41,258
payroll for March 2022
$495,096
a year, estimated (March × 12)
$93,100
average full-time pay, before benefits (March × 12)
3
sworn police officers
Compared, 2022.Dinosaur had 15.0 full-time staff per 1,000 residents in March 2022. The median for the 112 of the 150 Colorado cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools that reported 2022 staff was 8.6: Dinosaur had more than 76% of them. Same group and year as the budget comparison.

The Census reports one month’s payroll (March); yearly figures are that month × 12, an estimate. Part-timers count half in the bar lengths.

The school district

Moffat County School District RE-1

Dinosaur’s K–12 school district, shared with Craig. It’s its own government, with a budget separate from the town’s.

Schools in Dinosaur →
$15,264
per pupil · CO $15,889
1,915
students
$8.3 million
long-term debt

Of the $15,264 per pupil, $8,006 goes to the classroom (teachers, aides, supplies); the rest to buses, buildings, counselors and administration. Building projects and debt payments aren’t in the per-pupil figure.

The district: schools, scores and graduation →

Where the district’s money comes from
Local 55%State 38%Federal 7%

Colorado districts overall: 55% local, 37% state, 8% federal.

School year 2023–24. Census Bureau school finance survey.

Elections · 2024 general election

Dinosaur’s votes are counted by county

Colorado reports official results by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Dinosaur alone, and we don’t estimate them. These are Moffat County’s results.

President · Moffat County’s results6,671 votes · results as certified
Donald J TrumpDonald J TrumpRepublican80.3%5,358 votes
Kamala D HarrisKamala D HarrisDemocrat17.5%1,167 votes

Others: 2.2% (146 votes).

Most votes in Moffat County: Donald J Trump

Colorado: Harris 54.1%, Trump 43.1%

The county’s page

100% of Dinosaur lies in Moffat County. Every 2024 race in Moffat County is on the county’s page.

Moffat County’s 2024 results →
DemocratRepublicanLibertarianIndependent / other

Official 2024 general election returns, as certified (MIT Election Data + Science Lab). Percentages are of votes for candidates; blank and spoiled ballots aren’t counted. Candidates are listed by votes, and party colors are neutral on purpose.

Portraits: Kamala D Harris: official vice-presidential portrait, Lawrence Jackson, The White House, 2021; Donald J Trump: official portrait, Shealah Craighead, The White House, 2017. All are U.S. government works in the public domain. A race shows photos only when every candidate has an official portrait; otherwise every candidate in it gets initials.

Who represents Dinosaur

From town hall to Washington

Every level of government that speaks for Dinosaur.

2024 results ↑
  1. 1
    Your townTown government
    Local officials aren’t on record yet.
  2. 2
    Colorado HouseState representatives
    Meghan Lukens
  3. 3
    Colorado SenateState senator
    Dylan Roberts
  4. 4
    GovernorStatewide
    Jared Polis
  5. 5
    U.S. HouseYour representative in Congress
    Jeff Hurd
  6. 6
    U.S. SenateBoth represent all of Colorado
    Michael F. BennetJohn W. Hickenlooper

Democrat · Republican · other or independent. Tap a name for their official page.

Reach Dinosaur’s government

Neighbors add phone numbers and hours to the Handbook.

The Handbook →

Questions about Dinosaur’s government

How much does Dinosaur spend per resident?

About $2,108 per resident on day-to-day services in the year to December 31, 2022, as reported to the Census Bureau. In 2022, the last full count, its $2,108 was more than 79% of 150 Colorado cities of under 2,500 that don’t run their own schools.

Who runs Dinosaur’s government?

We name an official only when a public source lists a current term, and none does for Dinosaur yet.

How did Dinosaur vote in 2024?

Colorado counts votes by county and precinct, not by town, so there are no official results for Dinosaur alone. Moffat County, where 100% of Dinosaur lies, voted Trump 80.3%, Harris 17.5% for president; its page has every race.

How many people work for Dinosaur?

5 full-time and 9 part-time employees in March 2022, with a March payroll of $41,258 (about $495,096 a year if every month were the same), as reported to the Census Bureau.

Who represents Dinosaur in the state legislature?

State Senate District 8 (Dylan Roberts) and State House District 26 (Meghan Lukens). The House district also covers 13 other towns. Listed by Open States; districts from the Census Bureau.

Ask neighbors about Dinosaur’s government

Neighbors who’ve been to the meetings can help.

Town Square →
Ask neighbors

Budget and staff: U.S. Census Bureau, Census of Governments (2022, every government) and Annual Survey of State and Local Government Finances (2023–24, a sample) and the Annual Survey of Public Employment & Payroll; day-to-day spending is current operations, with hospitals, utilities and airports apart. School district: Census school finance survey, 2023–24. Property tax: Census American Community Survey, 2020–24. Elections: official 2024 returns via the MIT Election Data + Science Lab; turnout uses Census citizen voting-age population (CVAP, 2020–24). Officials: Open States, names shown only with a current term (checked October 9, 2026). Districts: Census Bureau (119th Congress, 2024 state districts); legislators: Open States and congress-legislators. How Town Hall works →