Voters in Durango Fire Protection District’s jurisdiction have approved a property tax increase for the department.
There were two questions: Question 2A, which went to voters in Durango, and question 7A, which went to La Plata and San Juan county voters within the district. Results indicate that 55% of city voters supported Question 2A, and 51% of La Plata County voters supported Question 7A.
The department has been seeking a mill levy increase to be approved by voters. The funds raised will be used to construct, staff and equip a new fire station in Three Springs.
The station would address heightened call volume in that part of the community and increase DFPD’s effectiveness throughout the rest of the district, Black said.
In a news release Wednesday, DFPD thanked the community, saying the department would work to uphold what it had promised.
“On behalf of the entire board and leadership team, we extend our heartfelt gratitude to the voters of the city of Durango and the entire Durango Fire Protection district for your support of the recent mill levy,” the release said. “Your engagement, advocacy, and trust in our mission reflect the strength and unity of our community.”
On Tuesday, Black said the department went with a property tax rather than a sales tax to even the burden of funding the station across the district.
“If we did sales tax, 92% of it was going to come from the city, and 8% was going to come from the county part of our district,” he said. “So there is a pretty big mismatch of where the revenue was coming from, with (DFPD’s) services evenly provided to both the county and the city at almost a 50-50 rate.”
With the measure passed, the department will work to be accountable and transparent with the funds raised, the release said.
“The passage of the mill levy is a testament to the value you place on maintaining and enhancing essential public services,” the release said. “With these funds, we remain committed to ensuring quality emergency care and response, maintaining safe and vibrant neighborhoods, and supporting necessary training and growth of the department to meet demands on services.”
sedmondson@durangoherald.com
