Foothills Fire Protection District at the center of ballot measures 6A and 6B in Jefferson County

Some Jefferson County residents have a big decision to make when it comes to fire protection this election. The Foothills Fire Protection District, which covers just over 25 square miles of Jefferson County, is asking community members to raise taxes to make improvements.

"We haven't asked for a tax increase in 25 years so financially we're running on the same budget from 25 years ago," said Mike Amdur, a Lieutenant, and Public Information Officer for the Foothills Fire Protection District.

Amdur has been with Foothills since June but has had more than a decade of experience in fire- he says funding and a declining pool of volunteer firefighters is a nationwide issue. Currently, the Foothills Fire Protection District has 28 volunteer firefighters- those numbers used to be double. 

There are two ballot measures specific to residents of the Foothills Fire Protection District that would help solve many of the issues but if approved, would nearly double the taxes residents pay annually to the fire district.

"I went back and looked and in the last three years, my taxes to the fire department went up 33% without a mill levy increase," said David Stajcar, former Fire Captain for the district and long-time community member.

Stajcar opposes both ballot measures 6A and 6B. He, along with other community members, created a website to share concerns.

CBS News Colorado caught up with him and others opposed to the measures near the new proposed location. They were holding signs, waving at those driving by, hoping to recruit supporters for their cause.

"It's a horribly hard issue to be on the other side of because I love the fire department. Everybody here supports the firefighters and the fire department."

Ballot measure 6B would increase taxes to fund up to $12.7 million to build a new station. It would be added to a bond totaling $25 million the community would pay back over 30 years. Ballot Issue 6C would implement a permanent hike to fund other needs for the department.

If both pass, it would nearly double the taxes residents paid to the fire district in 2021.

"It ends up being a 100% increase for the fire district tax per resident here. And we're already the second highest of our bordering districts," said Stajcar.

There are currently four fire stations within the Foothills Fire Protection District but only two are functional for staff, and the larger of the two buildings has had to convert closest to offices for staff.

The new firehouse would not only be able to accommodate more staff, but it would also offer beds and affordable housing. It's an addition the district hopes will help recruit and retain more firefighters. 

"So we can have 24/7 staffing at our stations. Currently, none of our stations have beds," said Amdur.

The new proposed location is on private property just off I-70 on US-40 and Paradise Road near Lookout Mountain. 

"That's where a majority of our calls happen and on top of that, that's gonna be centrally located which will reduce our call times by 30% to parts of our district," said Amdur.

Stajcar retired as Captain last year. He knows there are urgent needs but believes the proposed cost to build a new fire station, $12.7 million, puts an unnecessary burden on taxpayers.

"To date, there are no blueprints on what this station is going to look like… the land that you see over there is in great controversy. It's not even for sale yet, what happens if they don't get the land?"

He says it's the lack of detail, compounding his and other opponents' concerns.

"The biggest issue here is the haphazard way that it was put together and the lack of planning quite frankly."

While it does seem haphazard, the district said Friday that talks had been happening for years, and due to inflation, it had to act.

In an open letter, Duey Freeman, President of the Foothills Fire Protection Board wrote:

"Yes, this all seems fast and if you read the last letter I wrote there it explains the reasons.  We are concerned that if we do not do this soon that the costs will do nothing but increase. How many of you have seen the cost of any real estate or building go down? The truth is that the appraised value of the home I currently own has increased so much that I could not afford to buy it if I were looking to buy right now. This is our concern!! The estimated value is close to double what I paid only 6 or 7 years ago. The cost of a station will not go down over the next few years." 

The district has information on the proposal as well as community meetings on its website.

Jefferson County Officials encourage voters to read the EXACT BALLOT LANGUAGE, before making any decisions.