EAGLE COUNTY — — Voters last year turned down a proposed tax increase by the Eagle River Fire Protection District. After several months of intermittent station closures, district officials have decided to ask again this year.
County voters last year turned down all but one local tax proposal — the town of Eagle’s hotel tax increase passed — but rejected the fire district’s proposal by a roughly 10-percent margin. District officials think they might be able to do a better job of persuading voters this year, though.
“Some people wondered why we were asking for money after we’d just built a fire station in West Vail, and that’s not us,” board member Darell Wegert said, referring to the town of Vail’s new fire station that has nothing to do with the Protection District.
District Chief Karl Bauer said he’s heard from people in Edwards who believe they’re protected by the “Edwards volunteer fire department,” and there is no such thing.
Meanwhile, the district is looking at starting 2014 with less than $5 million in its budget, compared to a roughly $7 million budgeted in 2011.
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