Recreationists who play in rugged terrain never know when it might be their turn to need help. Ballot Issue 1B would help provide funding for rescue and firefighting operations.
Boulder County Ballot Issue 1B would impose a new countywide sales and use tax of 0.10%, declining to 0.05% after December 31, 2027, to fund equipment, facilities, programs and operations that address emergency service needs. This ballot measure does not have a sunset date. The 0.1% tax works out to one cent on a $10 taxable purchase, and is expected to generate about $11 million annually – and more or less half of the $11 million after the rate declines in 2027. The ballot measure would pass with a simple majority of Boulder County voters.
According to the County Commissioner-approved ballot measure resolution, the revenue would be used for emergency services needs including but not limited to:
- Capital, including facilities and equipment, and operational costs of search and rescue (SAR) organizations;
- Supplemental funding for the needs of fire departments in mountainous and rural areas;
- Ambulance services in areas not covered by municipal or fire district ambulance
services; - Wildland firefighting staffing; and
- Trail and trailhead safety services.
The outgoing Boulder County Sheriff Joe Pelle said in August, paraphrased according to a Daily Camera story, that “Rocky Mountain Rescue, an all-volunteer agency, responds to more than 200 search and rescue calls in Boulder County every year. It’s now housed in an old metal building that’s too small for all the equipment and vehicles. A new facility would provide adequate storage space plus meeting and training space, he said.”
The Boulder County Commissioners’ resolution to put 1B on the ballot says the new building is needed to house equipment and protect equipment from the elements and provide training and response facilities for SAR organizations.
On top of the SAR operations, non-municipal fire departments across Boulder County respond to a total of over 13,000 calls per year. The unincorporated County ambulance service responds to approximately 1,500 emergency calls per year.
There are a number of non-municipal fire districts in rural Boulder County – for example: Sugar Loaf, Sunshine, Mountain View, Left Hand, Boulder Mountain, Indian Peaks, and more. While there are differences in how these districts operate, they typically cover large areas of the county in square miles, they might operate in very rugged terrain, and they more than likely use volunteer firefighters to at least some extent. Firefighting normally requires equipment, facilities, and utility bills, and 1B money could be used to help these districts cover some costs.
Pro:
- Search and rescue operations have traditionally not always been well-funded. People serving in these SAR organizations save lives or prevent people who have mishaps in the wilderness from suffering more serious impacts. Personnel might risk their own safety in the more difficult rescues, plus organizations probably have equipment and infrastructure costs. This ballot measure would help defray some expenses in the interest of better public safety.
- Boulder County has lots of unincorporated area, where municipal funding for operations or infrastructure might not be available. This ballot measure would provide funding that might help organizations working in unincorporated areas have the resources they need.
- While this year’s Ballot Issue 1A would fund wildfire mitigation, Issue 1B would help fund firefighting efforts. If wildfires grow to large sizes, it takes a lot of person-power and equipment to fight the fires. Having more resources could be extremely helpful if a fire exceeds the firefighting capacity of a given fire district or other agency.
Con:
- This is a new tax that will last in perpetuity until someone repeals it, costing residents some amount of money.
- Sales taxes can be seen as regressive, since they might impact lower-income earners to a greater percentage of their income compared to some other types of taxation.
- The Boulder County government should already be taking care of emergency services with existing revenues, instead of asking taxpayers for more money. Emergency services should be a core function of government. Boulder already has an Office of Emergency Management that partners with SAR and other organizations, and the county has the Sheriff’s department.
- There are a number of other tax extensions or increases on our ballot, and if all or most pass, the expenses all add up.
Richard’s Take
Vote YES. So many of us enjoy rural Boulder County for recreation, but there are real chances that something can go wrong while on an outing in remote or rugged terrain. Our society asks a lot of the staff or volunteers involved with search and rescue operations or firefighting, and if they’re successful in their efforts they could save lives or minimize damage. It’s tougher to do these things without adequate equipment or facilities, and 1B would provide funding to help organizations provide services and give personnel the tools they need to do difficult jobs. 1C is a new tax, but the rate declines after it helps generate needed funding for the new SAR facility.
We often don’t appreciate emergency personnel enough until we actually need them, but 1B gives us a chance to help them with a little funding in advance of the next time they go out on a mission in the interest of personal or public safety.
