As wildfires continue to burn throughout our state, we are proud that our firefighters are putting their lives on the line to keep Coloradans and their homes safe.
At the same time, we’re incredibly worried about our ability to keep doing it.
That’s because two reckless initiatives headed for the November ballot, 50 and 108, would gut the resources needed to pay firefighters, recruit and retain volunteers, buy equipment, and respond quickly when you call.
This is not a drill.
Initiatives 50 and 108 might seem like simple solutions to the property tax spikes that Coloradans have been dealing with. And we get it. Lots of folks have been struggling with the cost of living. That’s why we worked with legislators and other local district leaders to cut nearly $1 billion in total statewide revenue in the coming year. But to cut further at this time would be devastating for fire districts across Colorado.
We think Coloradans ought to be fully informed about the consequences of Initiative 50, which would cap property tax increases at 4% a year, and Initiative 108, which would slash assessment rates, a key component in figuring tax bills.
Let us tell you what’s at stake with an example. The four most recent wildfires were fought and contained by local firefighters and agencies. As these fires threatened lives and homes, our agencies and others sent firefighters and equipment to those neighboring jurisdictions to fight those fires. We do this because we have mutual aid agreements but also because it’s the right thing to do.
If Initiatives 50 and/or 108 were to pass, it’s inevitable that we would have to scale back our efforts. Yes, proponents say we could go to a vote of the people and ask for more funding. That’s technically true, but these measures are so poorly written that in the case of 50, we’d have a statewide vote if any district wanted to ask voters for resources above the cap.
How does this make sense? Why would voters in other parts of the state have any reason to support lifting the statewide cap for a local concern? Coloradans value local control, and this requirement is an affront to that principle. We shouldn’t let interests who have no idea of our day-to-day operational realities upend community safety.
Another big issue is the cost of going to voters. It is expensive to get on the ballot and run an educational campaign. Those tax dollars could be better used to serve our community.
Initiative 108 would decrease assessment rates and result in, according to state estimates, about $3 billion less in revenue statewide. We’re being told that we’ll get “backfill” from the state for our lost revenues — dollars we use to pay firefighters, recruit volunteers, and buy equipment — but we’ve been told that before. The proponents of Initiative 108 have been quoted saying there will be no backfill for districts like ours, so we don’t know what to believe.
Meanwhile, the cost of paying our firefighters has increased with the cost of living and our need to pay competitively. The cost of recruiting and maintaining volunteers and the cost of fire trucks has gone up significantly. The fire engine we bought before the pandemic at a cost of about $600,000 now costs more than $1.2 million. And our call volume is going up. If we don’t have enough money to keep up the levels of service that give us high ratings from insurers, you’ll see increased insurance premiums. That’s already happening, and we must ask: Is it better to give those dollars to insurance companies or invest in services in your community? We feel strongly that it’s the latter.
As Colorado’s climate becomes hotter and drier, we know we’ll face bigger, more dangerous fires. As Gov. Jared Polis said recently in discussing the 2024 wildfire season, it’s not a question of if the next big one comes but rather when and what we are going to do about it. Over the past five years, we have already experienced the three largest fires in state history.
As firefighters, we stand ready to protect you, your home, and your loved ones. But we need people and equipment to do it. Initiatives 50 and 108 are dangerous for our communities and those who fight to protect them. We call on the backers of these initiatives to withdraw them and work with us to support sensible solutions to our common concerns.
Don Lombardi is chief of the West Metro Fire Protection District. Kristy Olme is chief of the North-West Fire Protection District and president of the Colorado State Fire Chiefs.
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Originally Published: August 7, 2024 at 10:43 a.m.
