On August 12 the Arvada Fire Protection District board decided to place a 1% sales tax measure on the ballot this November. Voters in the District will see this measure on their ballots this fall.
The board would like to thank the residents for all of the public input and feedback received leading up to this decision.
As part of the District's public engagement process, a community survey was conducted. The following represents some sentiments for and against provided by citizens who completed that survey.
Citizen sentiments both for and against the ballot measure are below.
FOR:
- The Arvada Fire Protection District will be able to maintain current levels of service with this additional funding
- Fire and emergency services are essential for community safety
- A sales tax will help distribute the financial burden to visitors as opposed to just homeowners
- A sales tax provides an alternative to, and some relief, to property taxes
- The sales tax exemptions for many day-to-day necessities will reduce the regressive aspects of a sales tax
AGAINST:
- The Arvada Fire Protection District should make adjustments to live within its current budget constraints
- The current property tax base should be sufficient to fund the department
- A property tax is seen by some as a more predictable and direct source of funding
- Some believe only cities should collect a sales tax
- Sales taxes are often viewed as regressive
Arvada Fire Protection District has a history of being a good steward of taxpayer dollars and providing fire services within its budget. In fact, the District has not asked voters to approve any new tax increase since 2010.
Learn MoreIf new funding is not secured, the District would need to reduce spending over the next two years, and may not be able to maintain the current levels of service.
Learn More
The demand for fire and emergency services continues to grow across the District. Our budget forecast shows capital and expenditures have begun to outpace revenue.
Serving the community is our top priority.
