How much has Spaceport America cost Doña Ana County taxpayers? TRUTH OR CONSEQUENCES, New Mexico - While international excitement builds for Sunday's historic Virgin Galactic launch, taxpayers in Doña Ana and Sierra counties continue to pay off the multimillion-dollar Spaceport America complex. “It’s like anything you bet on," explained Shannon Reynolds, chairman of the tax district board for Spaceport America and a Doña Ana county commissioner. "Sometimes you hit the jackpot right away and sometimes it takes longer to get a return." Doña Ana and Sierra counties split the cost of the state-owned Spaceport building, but not evenly. Doña Ana county is paying back 95% of the debt and Sierra county is funding the remaining 5%. Both counties have the same tax rate, but the revenue from Doña Ana county is larger because its population is denser.