Sales tax issue heads for Larimer ballot

FORT COLLINS — Revenue from a proposed 0.3% sales-and-use tax approved for the November ballot Tuesday by the Board of Larimer County Commissioners would fund wildfire protection, natural disaster preparedness, road and bridge safety and other community services.

The measure equals 30 cents on every $100 purchase, but exempts everyday purchases including groceries for domestic home consumption, gasoline, diapers, prescription drugs and feminine hygiene products. All revenues generated by the measure would be subject to annual independent financial audits to ensure transparency and local accountability.

“We have had lots of things remind us of the importance of wildfire mitigation, including protecting the watersheds that supply the drinking water of our communities and protecting the escape routes into and out of our forested areas,” said Jody Shadduck-McNally, who chairs the county commission. “Every dollar invested in mitigation work reduces the cost of future damages and emergency response by $6 to $13.”

According to a news release issued by the county, the proposed measure directly connects the county’s biggest needs by making sure local disaster response, road safety and community services work together to protect residents.

“We try to use our budget wisely and run a very lean operation, yet we are facing mounting costs, including a 100% increase in transportation costs over the last decade,” said commissioner Kristin Stephens. “After cutting $6 million from our budget, we still face a shortfall to address critical needs like wildfire mitigation, watershed protection and road safety as federal and state grant funding shrinks.”

County emergency officials emphasized the immediate financial burden of emergency response.

“March and April saw more than a dozen fire starts in Larimer County, but through planning, training and coordination with our partners, we were able to get to them before they got too large,” Larimer County Sheriff John Feyen said. “This work isn’t cheap. Personnel is costly; mitigation is costly. A single-engine air tanker costs $3,300 to turn the engine on and another $2,000 an hour to fly.

“The Ponds fire, which took place in April west of Fort Collins, was contained in two hours at less than 10 acres. It cost Larimer County citizens more than $30,000 to address this fire in two hours,” he said. “This tax is an investment in the future preparedness and the ounce of prevention before the pound of cure is needed.”

Registered voters will receive their mail ballots starting in October for the Nov. 3 general election. Information on voter registration, mail ballot schedules and local polling options is at VoteLarimer.org.

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