A small group of mostly older residents — ‘Citizens for Fair Fuel Prices’ — met at the Ruby Sisson Library on January 18 to continue discussions about the price of gas in Pagosa Springs. The group generally agreed that we are paying unfairly high prices.
The owners and managers of our local gas stations had reportedly been invited to attend the meeting, and help us understand the situation. None appeared.
From what I could tell, the majority of the participants had attended a similar December 1, 2023 gathering at the library, where the meeting organizers — local activist Jane Davison and Archuleta County Commissioner Warren Brown — had outlined attempts to understand the reasons why Pagosa residents are paying higher gas prices than nearby communities (Durango, Bayfield, Del Norte, Chama) and whether state officials are able, and willing, to do anything to provide relief.
At that December meeting, Ms. Davison had shared a slideshow based on her research into how gas prices are typically set, and comparing prices in various communities. Commissioner Brown told of his efforts to get Colorado Attorney General Phil Weiser involved in addressing the situation. The group had agreed that inviting the gas station operators to a January meeting would be a good idea. They were also agreed that, although Pagosa prices had fallen since the summer, they were still high compared to other communities.
By the time of the January meeting, local gas prices had come down from November prices by an average of 85 cents per gallon by mid-January — significantly more than the average decrease in surrounding towns…
…but according to Ms. Davison’s research, the average prices were still comparatively higher.
Had the significant price drop been the result of a single meeting by a local activist group, plus the resulting media coverage and social media discussions?
Had our gas station operators been influenced? Hard to say, without any of the operators in attendance to provide an answer. It’s certainly possible.
Commissioner Brown repeated the story he’d shared at the December 1 meeting, about his interactions with Attorney General Weiser, and then noted that a new letter had been mailed to the AG’s office, including updated information.
Given that the AG’s office is constantly dealing which corrupt businesses that have cost Colorado citizens millions of dollars in excessive and sometimes illegal charges and fees, I wonder how much interest can be generated by a rural community paying a few pennies more for gas.
After the January 18 meeting, I took a drive through town and documented three gas stations I’d also photographed after the December meeting. I was once again struck by the relative price differences between the three locations.
According to the website Gas Buddy, the average price of regular gas varied across the U.S. on January 28. The average price in Albuquerque NM was about $2.90 per gallon. In Denver, the price was about $2.64.
The national average was about $3.08 — so not too different from Pagosa prices.
In Los Angeles, CA and Honolulu HI, the price was $4.50 on January 28.
Should we be thankful for small favors?