The Eagle River Fire Protection District is considering asking voters to approve a 0.79 percent sales tax to fund the district’s emergency services. The proposed sales tax, which must be approved by voters, would provide critical revenue to maintain the level of service currently provided by the Eagle River Fire Protection District and ensure we have adequate staffing and well-maintained equipment, while asking visitors and tourists to help fund the emergency services they depend on.

The district is funded primarily by property taxes. In accordance with the tax levy established by voters in 2012, the district’s tax rate was reduced this year from 9.32 in 2023 to 6.618 to reflect recent tax increases in Eagle County. This funding amount is exceeded by a sharp increase in service calls and the impact of inflation on personnel, equipment and maintenance costs. Over the past five years, service calls have increased 24 percent as the district’s population and visitor numbers have increased. The Eagle River Fire Protection District also faces challenges caused by our aging population and increasing wildfire risk.

The District needs additional revenue to keep pace with these challenges, but given recent increases in assessment rates, we do not want to ask homeowners and businesses to pay a property tax increase.

Without new revenue, the district would move to a strategy of “reducing and suspending” its operations. This means reducing fire department staffing levels, which could lead to periodic closures of stations with delayed response to fires and other emergencies, as well as a suspension of firefighting equipment and fire truck replacements, even when required due to age and condition.

Current budget projections show that the district will also need to use its emergency reserves for general operations starting in 2026. The emergency reserve is designed to help fund response to major disasters, such as wildfires or floods, and to help the district maintain operations during significant economic downturns (such as in 2009).

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Current budget projections estimate the emergency reserve to be approximately $3.9 million. However, due to rising operating costs, these projections also show that the emergency reserve will fall well below $1 million by 2029 and will not be able to be replenished. Using the emergency reserves for general operations would not allow the district to ensure adequate firefighting equipment staffing or to replace fire apparatus and fire trucks when needed.

This is where a sales tax can provide important funding. The proposed sales tax, which would not apply to food or medicine, would ensure that tourists and visitors help fund emergency services and provide financial relief to local residents and businesses. It is estimated that about half of all sales taxes collected in Eagle County are paid by visitors from other cities. It is only fair that they help fund local emergency services.

If the Eagle River Fire Protection District board decides to proceed — and voters approve — the sales tax would bring in about $6.8 million a year. Those funds would be used for:

• Maintenance of firefighting equipment to extend its service life and replace firefighting vehicles if necessary
• Investing in modern firefighter safety equipment to protect our rescue workers and ensure they are prepared for any type of emergency.
• Modernization of forest fire fighting equipment
• Providing sufficient staff to handle the increasing number of emergency calls
• Improving and equipping existing and future fire stations to ensure fast response times

This ensures a financially stable agency with appropriate staffing, equipment and facilities that are maintained and ready for use when needed.

Clint Janssen, Bill Simmons, John Halloran, Cindy Moran and Darell Wegert are members of the Eagle River Fire Protection District Board of Directors.