Help fund future of fire, rescue

Durango Fire Protection District and its Board of Directors are responsible for ensuring that our agency has the staff, equipment and locations to meet the demand for services placed on us by the public. We take this charge seriously, focusing on the most efficient and effective ways to provide services to the public.  

The growth in our community has been pushing toward the southeast for many years, with the development of Three Springs, anchored by the relocation of Mercy hospital around 2006. Since that time, the development has steadily grown, and calls have steadily increased. There are currently more than 700 apartment units either in construction or planning, a 140-bed assisted living facility, hotel, new elementary school, as well as significant growth as Three Springs Phase 1 completes and Phase 2 begins, with another 1,100 residential units. Based on current demands for service and forecasted growth, we need to build and staff a station in that area.

The Durango Fire Protection District Board of Directors, in conjunction with staff, is moving forward with an election this fall to increase our mill levy to fund the construction and staff for a new fire station in the Three Springs area. The question will be on ballots in both the City of Durango and the Fire District. The ballot question is 2A on the City ballots, and 7A on the District ballots. The question will ask voters to authorize an increase in property tax not to exceed 4.45 mills.  

Year one is calculated at 3.59 mills. Years two and beyond will be based on scheduled assessment rate decreases the State Legislature has implemented over the next few years. Those decreases will make 3.59 mills in 2026 produce the same revenue as 4.45 in 2028. Therefore, we set the mill rate for the last step of the decreases at the advice of Hilltop Securities, our election financial advisor.  

Please go to www.durangofire.org for more details and in-depth explanation of the mills and how much it will cost homeowners and commercial property owners if approved.

– Randy Black, Fire Chief, Durango Fire Protection District