The Erie Town Council held a second vote Tuesday on whether to sell the town’s remaining mineral rights for the Draco oil and gas project [1].

The decision is critical because the sale is tied to the proposed Draco Pad, an energy project intended to extend from Weld County into Boulder County [2]. The outcome determines the town's control over its land and its relationship with the energy industry.

This reconsideration occurred one week after a previous vote on the matter [3]. During that initial session, the council reached a three-three split decision [1]. Because the vote was tied, the deal to sell the rights failed to pass at that time [1].

Reports on the outcome of the Tuesday, June 23, 2026, vote vary [1, 4]. Some reports indicate the council was set to vote for a second time on that day [2]. However, other reports said the council voted to sell the mineral rights after one councilmember changed his position [5].

The Draco project remains a point of contention in the region. The sale of these rights would facilitate the development of the Draco Pad, altering the industrial footprint across the county lines of Weld and Boulder [2].

“The council reached a three-three split decision during the initial session.”

The conflict over the Draco Pad reflects the broader tension in Colorado between municipal land control and energy development. By voting on the sale of mineral rights, the Erie Town Council is weighing immediate financial gain or industrial partnership against the long-term environmental and regulatory implications of oil and gas extraction crossing county lines.