Poudre Canyon residents say 'yes' to mill levy hike

By Cherry Sokoloski
North Forty News

Outreach efforts paid off in the Poudre Canyon on Nov. 4, when voters overwhelmingly approved a mill levy increase to build two new fire stations.

The new facilities, which will also include community centers, could be built as early as next summer. Total cost of the project is estimated at $2.18 million.

The 191-80 vote increases the fire district property tax from 5.5 mills to 21.15 mills. The tax hike will cost property owners $125 per year per $100,000 in assessed value, but that could be more than offset by savings in fire insurance.

"Hopefully we'll be a much safer canyon and can get much better equipment - like a new ambulance," said Bette Blinde, fire chief and president of the Poudre Canyon Fire Protection District. "We're pretty delighted that people in the district saw the need."

District officers held numerous informational meetings in the canyon prior to the election, pointing out deficiencies in the current buildings. Modern ambulances and fire engines won't fit in the existing structures, so it has been impossible for the district to upgrade its equipment.

Bill Sears, vice president of the district, said the fire station at Poudre Park was built about 1960. The Poudre Park community center, originally a one-room schoolhouse, was built in 1875, one year before Colorado became a state. It no longer meets modern code requirements.

The fire station in the upper canyon, near Rustic, is "essentially a cave built into the side of the mountain," Sears noted. It was damaged by snow a few years back and is no longer insurable.

The new mill levy will raise about $160,000 per year for the fire district, compared with its current annual tax revenue of $42,000. That won't be sufficient for all construction costs, however.

"We're trying to raise half the money needed through grants," Blinde said.

The district's board of directors is working on grant funding now, and they're also interviewing potential architects for the project.

Sears expects a net gain for property owners when the increased tax is balanced against insurance savings. New and improved equipment will decrease response time to fires and EMS emergencies. It will also provide better protection and safety for both property owners and volunteer responders.