Why Are These Three Fire Districts Considering Consolidation?

A decline in volunteerism and an increase in demand for services is straining resources and personnel, limiting our ability to efficiently and effectively respond to emergencies. Consolidating will allow us to hire more staff, recruit additional volunteers, and establish a more efficient central dispatch center to improve response time to emergency calls.

How Did You Decide Upon 16 Mills As The New Potential Property Tax?

The districts commissioned a third-party analysis to determine the feasibility and needs. The districts developed a budget based on this analysis to pay for the immediate and long-term needs, including more staff and volunteers, replacing obsolete emergency vehicles and equipment, and improving service safely and efficiently.

What Do You Mean By A Resource Deficit?

Each of the three fire districts faces a shortfall in first responders and equipment that is projected to worsen over time. Consolidation allows us to share and invest in additional staff, volunteer recruitment, and replace aging equipment, such as emergency vehicles needed to serve the community.

What Does A Consolidated District Look Like?

It will not look or feel much different for the community other than a new name, plus more staff and volunteers. The same local fire stations and friendly faces would include:

• Streamlined emergency dispatch system

• Shared knowledge, resources, and equipment

• Standardized hiring and training practices

• Leveraging recruiting and training practices for volunteers

• Increased career staffing

• Cost efficiencies with more expensive emergency fire equipment

How Would A Potential Mill Levy Increase Impact You As A Homeowner?

Each district currently has a different mill levy so it depends on where you live and the value of your property, but for consolidation we are considering a total of 16 mills. You can use the property tax calculator to determine your specific situation but for each district:

• Elk Creek property owners would see an increase of 3.5 mills – or $14.19 more/month for a home valued at $700,000 (the average home price).

• Inter-Canyon property owners would see an increase of 1.952 mills – or $7.91 more/month for a home valued at $700,000 (the average home price).

• North Fork property owners would see an increase of 3.569 mills – or $12.40 more/month for a home valued at $600,000 (the average home price).

Is There Any Urgency To This Plan?

Yes, the third-party feasibility study conducted in 2021 advised that consolidation begin within two years, which would be in 2023. COVID caused some initial delays and inflation has significantly increased costs so the urgency for implementing this plan has only increased.

What Happens If We Don’t Consolidate And Increase Property Taxes To Reach 16 Mills?

All three districts face immediate and long-term shortfalls in professional staff and new volunteers. Emergency response vehicles and equipment are reaching the end of their useful life as the risk for wildfire in the area continues to grow. Below is a list of some of our immediate needs:

• If we’re unable to hire more professional staff and recruit more volunteers, our response times and ability to respond to large emergencies such as a wildland fire will suffer.

• If we can’t replace our aging emergency vehicles, our ability to respond quickly and safely to emergencies will be impacted.

• If we don’t consolidate to create a streamlined emergency dispatch system, our response times and service to the community will be diminished.

How Are The Fire Districts Currently Funded?

Each fire district receives annual property tax revenue based on their mill levy, which is set by the voters of each district. This makes up well over half of the budget and is the only reliable source of funding for fire districts, which is why increasing the mill levy is the only feasible way to cover costs.

Why Are You Experiencing A Decline In Volunteer Firefighters?

The continual decline in volunteerism is a nationwide trend impacted by many factors, including the cost to both recruit and train new volunteers. We need to continually recruit new volunteers and train them to use sophisticated equipment and provide emergency services in sometimes very dangerous environments. The amount of time and resources it takes to become fully trained as a volunteer is a critically important factor to providing the best care and service to the communities we serve.

Why Did The Fire District Conduct An Opinion Survey With The Community?

Conducting a scientific survey of the community is the easiest and most accurate way to better understand public opinion about fire services across the three districts. We also wanted to learn how the community feels about a potential property tax increase to fund the districts’ needs through this consolidation plan.

Why Are You Seeing An Increase In Demand For Services Across All Three Districts?

Our population is both growing and aging, increasing demand for calls. It’s estimated that our areas combined will experience a 20%+ increase in population by 2030 Patients 65 years and older are 3x more likely to access local emergency medical services than other age groups.