Values have gone up, names have changed, but Jeld-Wen, Gas Transmission Northwest, and PacifiCorp have been among the top 10 property taxpayers in Klamath County for more than a decade.
   Together, they paid $386 million in property taxes last year.
   Each year, the county calculates the assessed values and taxes of each parcel of property and compiles a top 10 taxpayers list. Those on the list this year paid 16 percent of all property taxes collected by Klamath County and the city of Klamath Falls.
   “They are, in many ways, the backbone of the economy,” said Klamath Falls Councilwoman Trish Seiler about the large companies.
   In 1996, the top three taxpayers were assessed at $376 million.
   Who are these companies? And how much do they contribute to the local coffers?
   
2006 Klamath Falls Top 10    1, 2 and 3. Jeld-Wen Inc.:

Jeld-Wen paid a $976,721.84 for three parcels that include property at the plant next to Thomas Lumber. There are other properties listed separately for Jeld-Wen that did not make the top 10 list. This does not include property outside of the city limits.
   
4. Qwest Corporation:

Qwest paid $206,771.47 in taxes for its property in the city. The company provides telephone and wireless service to customers.
   
5. Wal-Mart:

$210,225.85 was paid in taxes listed under the company’s real estate business trust fund.
   
6. Aqua Glass Western Inc.:

Aqua Glass, which manufactures bathtubs, opened a distribution and manufacturing facility near the Klamath Falls airport in the early 1990s. The company paid $188,485.14 in taxes.
   
7. LXPII L.P.:

The LXPII L.P. owns the property that Fred Meyer is on. The building is listed separately, but did not make the top 10 list. The company paid $169,410.37 in taxes for the property.
   
8. Electro Scientific Industries Inc.:

The company, which produces high-technology manufacturing systems for the global electronics market, paid $132,996.96 in taxes.
   
9 : P a c i f i C o r p :

P a c i f i C o r p p a i d $129,817.74 in taxes for its property in Klamath Falls. The company produces electricity.
   PacifiCorp operates as Pacific Power in Oregon. T he re a l s o i s p r o p e r t y owned by the company in Klamath County.
   
10. Avista Corp.:

Avista provides the local area with natural gas and electricity. The company paid $123,343.61 in taxes.
   2006 Klamath
   County Top 10
   
1. Gas Transmission Northwest:

The 45-yearold company operates a natural gas line through the region. The company paid $1,444,315.35 in taxes.
   
2 . P a c i f i C o r p :

The electricity company paid $1,380,564.49 in taxes for its property in the county. PacifiCorp operates as Pacific Power in Oregon. There also is  property owned by the company in the city.
   
3. PPM Energy

: PPM Energy includes the cogeneration power plant. A total of $1,086,139.31 was paid in taxes for the property.
   
4. and 8. Jeld-Wen:

The company paid a total of $759,081.79 for two parcels in the county which include the company’s door factory plant in Chiloquin and some timberlands.
   
5. Collins Timber Company, LLC :

The timber company paid $233,614.57 in ta xes. This does not include forestlands.
   
6 . K l a m a t h E n e r g y LLC:

Klamath Energy operates a natural gas power plant. The company paid $229,477.72 in taxes.
   
7. Interfor Pacific Inc.:

The wood products company has property throughout the Northwest. It paid $251,886.42 to the county in taxes.
   
8. Jeld-Wen, Inc. (see No. 4)    9. Qwest Corporation:

The telephone company also paid property taxes on property in the city. It paid $ 295,003.44 in taxes for property in the county.
   
10. Union Pacific Railroad Co. :

The railroad company paid $178,769.98 in taxes for property in the county.