Northglenn – An area north of Denver that has gone from suburban enclave to rapidly expanding urban hub is straining the resources of its fire protection, authorities say.
The North Metro Fire Protection District, which covers 115 square miles and 90,000 people, is seeking a $26 million bond issue and a $2 million-a-year tax increase to fund more hiring and new facilities.
North Metro is among several Front Range fire districts asking voters today for millions of new tax dollars to keep emergency response times low in the face of advancing development.
“Nobody wants a tax increase. I sure don’t,” said Richard O’Grady, president of the North Metro Fire board of directors. “But I can tell you we’ve seen major, major changes in what has become a densely populated community now.”
The district serves parts of unincorporated Adams, Jefferson, Weld and Boulder counties as well as Northglenn and the city and county of Broomfield.
The area has grown from 25,000 residents in 1990 to 47,000 people and is expected to continue to grow about 2 percent a year.
Further, on the horizon is an 11,000-home development north of the Northwest Parkway and new retail development at Colorado 7 and I-25.
But growth is not the only problem plaguing the fire district.
There are several urban renewal districts inside the North Metro boundaries. The assessed value of properties inside the urban renewal districts is frozen, which flattens the tax revenue going into the fire district, said North Metro spokeswoman Wendy Krajew ski.
In all, the district has lost $1.4 million over the past four years because property tax revenues have not kept up with growth, Krajewski said.
“Sooner or later we will be forced to say what services need to go in order to keep going on calls,” she said. “We can’t keep going into our savings.”
If the bond and mill levy increase pass, the district will add two fire stations, two fire engines, a training center, a maintenance facility, a central headquarters and 36 new personnel.
Broomfield resident Jennifer Kuzik said a tax increase is worth it to keep North Metro running at full capacity. Her son was saved by North Metro emergency workers when a 550-pound piano fell on him two years ago.
“Paying for and having this service available should never be taken for granted,” Kuzik said.
But another Broomfield resident, John J. Farley, says too much of the money from the tax increase will fund new services and facilities in Northglenn.
“I want to know that our tax dollars are being used wisely, and this case I do not feel that they will be,” Farley said.
A $400,000-a-year tax increase for the Platte Valley Fire Protection District near Kersey would allow the all-volunteer department to add three full-time staffers. That would help fire protection in an area seeing more growth as people build homes east of I-25.
“It’s starting to show up here as people slowly move east,” said Chief Barry Schaefer, “and we’ve got to get ready for it.”
Staff writer Monte Whaley can be reached at 720-929-0907 or at mwhaley@denverpost.com
