Durango City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to notify La Plata County of its intent to let voters decide whether to increase funding for the Durango Fire Protection District.
It was largely a procedural vote ahead of the November election; ballot language drafting can now begin.
“(The decision is) just to put the county on notice that we’re asking to reserve space for the city on the November ballot on behalf of the fire department,” said city spokesman Tom Sluis. “They can’t put ballot measures onto city ballots without the council’s permission.”
Councilors did not approve the ballot measure itself or any official language, Sluis said. Rather, they agreed to give the county a heads-up that a measure is coming ahead of the November election.
The city is not part of the Durango Fire Protection District, but instead receives services under contract. The measure would ask voters whether or not to raise property or sales taxes to fund a new fire station in Three Springs.
The fire department says it needs more money to build, staff and equip a new station in Three Springs, which lacks a station and has seen an increase in call volumes. That has strained the department’s resources and raised concerns about its ability to respond adequately throughout its service area, especially as the district’s population continues to grow. A new station would relieve the burden and help first responders keep residents safe, said Chief Randy Black.
“We have to find a new revenue source to address the increased demand for service,” Black wrote in an email to the Herald. “Our board of directors is still working on what the proposed solution will be to ask the voters. Because of TABOR, we cannot increase our revenue without the support of the public, which means going to a vote.”
To raise additional funds, the department is considering increasing either the city’s sales or its property tax. Now that City Council has agreed to work with the department and reserve space on the November ballot, DFPD’s board of directors must determine exactly what it will ask voters.
“It goes back to hashing out the details at this point,” Sluis said. “The fire district has to decide what avenue they’re going to move forward on regarding if it’s a property tax or a sales tax.”
Once the fire department finalizes the measure, it will go to City Council for review at its Aug. 5 meeting. If approved, the council would then review the specific ballot language, which would then be presented to voters in November.
sedmondson@durangoherald.com
A previous version of this story contained inaccurate information regarding the city becoming part of the Durango Fire Protection District. The ballot measure will only ask voters about how to fund the department’s new station, not if the city should incorporate into the district.
