" It was a very busy summer, wildfire wise.. plus all the other calls we go on. We responded to 40 wildfire calls. At least we went to every fire of any significance in the region because we have mutual aid agreements, right? We went to Black Canyon, to the Gunnison, Turner Gulch, the Lee Fire, and the Elk Fire, the Derby Fire in Gypsum. We had our fire on Missouri Heights. That was our biggest one. We also went on five national deployments that were [in] California and other places, uh, we still have an engine in California staffed with a couple of volunteers and one career staff because they're screaming for engines as well. And so we try to help our neighbors because we screamed for help. It was a very difficult summer."
That's Carbondale Fire Chief Rob Goodwin. Last year, the Colorado Legislature passed House Bill 24B-1001, which put a limit on the annual growth of property tax revenue. Chief Goodwin says this Bill has created a hole in his team's budget.
"We ended up losing about 1.3 million, uh, last year of what we should have had, and about a million this year."
The Carbondale and Rural Fire Protection District covers about 300 square miles, including El Jebel, Missouri Heights, and Marble. In the past five years, calls for fire and EMS services have risen by 65%, and the prices of housing and equipment are also skyrocketing. Local ballot measure 7D would increase sales taxes by 1.5%. That funding would support three more positions within the department, better and newer equipment, responder health and wellness, and an emergency slush fund. The other ballot measure, measure 7E, is a $30 million bond that would be paid back in property taxes.
"The bond issue would be an increase in property tax to fund capital government bonds to build a newer station up the Crystal Valley. That's the one, one of the stations we have there is over 50 years old and needs to be replaced, and that's the next place we're looking to staff. And then workforce housing. Everyone knows living here is hard, getting people...volunteers and careers. That's why we say workforce housing. We have a plan for being able to have volunteers near our stations that aren't staffed. And then workforce housing as well for career people that can't afford to live here, but we sure do need them."
Budget challenges are nothing new to the district. Goodwin says that 15 years ago, revenue dropped by over 40% and it almost shut them down. Then in 2015, they brought in a consulting group that created a master plan to get the district safely back on its feet. Now the plan is complete, but it still isn't enough for the increased need.
"We will run 2000 calls this year. We need staffing to safely respond, to effectively take care of you and the the people here and, and to not do. The thing that keeps me up at night is kill one of us."
Election Day is today. You can still register to vote. Go to kdnk.org for more on all the ballot questions and our voters' guide, and tune in for live election night coverage on KDNK with Marilyn Gleason and me.
