La Plata County voters are being asked to consider several local ballot initiatives in November, including tax hikes countywide, in two municipalities and for two fire districts.
It can get confusing, so The Durango Herald asked readers what questions they had prior to completing their ballots.
Following are some of those questions and answers, lightly edited for clarity and brevity:
The city of Durango and the Durango Fire Protection District are seeking a coordinated 4.5 mill property tax (measures 2A and 7A) increase to build and staff a new fire station in Three Springs, among other needs.
The majority of readers’ questions were about these measures. DFPD Chief Randy Black provided written responses. His answers have been edited for clarity.
How does this impact response times for DFPD if voted for/against?
Response times into Three Springs, Grandview and the Florida Mesa are currently well over the nationally recommended timeline of five minutes (for urban areas, 10 minutes for rural).
We have a study that shows how that would improve. Adding a station 8 to 10 minutes farther east benefits everyone in that area as it decreases the time for staff to arrive for a fire or medical emergency. Adding a station improves the response capabilities in the rest of the district during concurrent calls.
If they both pass, will the tax be 8.9 mills?
No – the city and county taxes are separate and not added together.
If the measure passes in both the city and the district, the combined mill rate in the first year would be 11.79 mills.
The ballot question asks whether taxes should be increased by a specific dollar amount in the first year, not to exceed 4.45 mills in future years. The first year is calculated at 3.59 mills.
In following years, state-mandated assessment-rate decreases will take effect. Those changes mean that 3.59 mills in 2026 would generate roughly the same revenue as 4.45 mills in 2028. Based on advice from Hilltop Securities, the county’s financial adviser for the election, the mill rate was set to align with the final step of those scheduled decreases.
If the measure passes in both the city and district, the total mill rate would start at 11.79 mills in year one and rise to 12.65 mills in later years as assessment rates adjust.
Is there a cost analysis of the 2A and 7A ballot measure?
The increase will cost taxpayers $9.35 per month for homes valued at $500,000. For commercial properties valued at $1 million, it would cost $80.78 per month.
Further breakdowns of the cost can be found at www.durangofire.org.
Ballot measure 1A asks La Plata County voters to approve a 1% sales tax projected to raise $18 million in the first year.
Will the county make it a priority to continue to help fund the Durango Public Library?
The county contributes to the Durango Public Library through its joint sales tax with the city of Durango, said Megan Graham, county spokesperson in a written response to The Durango Herald. 1A does not include a shift in that funding allocation.
What will the total sales-tax rates be in the city of Durango and Bayfield if all of these propositions pass?
If all propositions pass, the total sales tax in the city of Durango would raise the city’s existing sales tax from 8.4% to 9.4%.
In Bayfield, the sales tax, currently 7.9%, would climb to 10.9% on most goods and services.
A previous Herald article – “La Plata County voters to weigh mix of sales, property tax hikes this November” – addressed this question in length.
What happens if 1A doesn’t pass?
Specific services have not yet been identified for elimination if Measure 1A does not pass, Graham said.
She added that without a structural correction to the county’s revenue sources, the overall level of service across county services will be diminished.
“The Road and Bridge Fund is experiencing the most significant revenue challenges, and without the passage of the Measure, the County will be unable to maintain historic levels of road maintenance and infrastructure improvements,” Graham said.
Additional capital projects will likely be halted according to multiple discussions between county officials and staff.
What will the increase be used for? If it is for the general fund, how do we ensure it is only for roads and not marketing and promotions?
Graham said the way the county allocates any of the additional revenue raised if the ballot measure passed would be tied to the language in the ballot question that directs how spending would be allocated.
It is of note that the language used in the ballot question does not place any restrictions on how the county could use the additional revenue.
The language at the end of the ballot question asks: “Shall the county be authorized to collect, retain and spend the revenue from such tax and any earnings thereon without limitation or condition as a voter approved revenue change under article X, section 20 of the Colorado Constitution or any other law?”
jbowman@durangoherald.com
