Fire Districts plead case for proposed bill that would allow new taxes for revenue

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. (KRDO) - Firefighters in special districts are pleading their case for a bill in the state capitol, as they're feeling the impact from lower property taxes over the last year, which largely fund their operations.

The bill would allow special fire districts like Cimarron Hills to propose a sales tax within their district boundaries, and an impact tax on new construction.

"Our goal isn't to tax everybody and just get as much money as we can,  but we need to be able to keep the revenue stream that we have and keep that dollar amount that each district needs," says Andrew York, the Chief of Cimmaron Hills' Fire Protection District.

He says that over the last year his district saw a loss of $500,000 in revenue. Andy Kovacs, who heads the Monument Fire District, says they lost upwards of $1.5 million dollars.

The two explained that although property valuations rose this year, actions by the state legislature have been decreasing property tax rates, which in turn, cuts down on their budgets.

"We're seeing, you know, fire stations that used to cost 3 to 4 million. Now they cost in 10 to 12 million. You know, a fire engine that used to be $400,000, or $500,000 is now $1.2 to $1.3 million." says York, who is also the President of the Pikes Peak Fire Council, which oversees all 18 special fire districts in El Paso County.

He says for the sake of more rural and volunteer-based fire districts, the proposed taxes would help keep stations running, and keep response times down.

"Some of these departments and smaller organizations may not be able to continue to respond and may have to rely on now agencies that could be 20, 30, 45 minutes away." York explained.

If the bill passes, the board of each district would determine what the tax percentages would be for the construction or sales, but ultimately they would have to be approved by local voters in a special election to officially pass it.

Brittany Legleiter has lived in Cimmaron Hills for nearly a decade. She says as now she would vote yes to such a proposal.

"I would rather them have what they need, if I needed to call them for something, then them not, because they're losing tax money." Legleiter explained.

The bill however still needs to pass the House and Senate, and then be signed by the Governor, before any action can be taken.