WESTMINSTER, Colo. — Westminster voters are being presented with the choice to enhance the city's fire department at the cost of an increase in sales tax.
Ballot measure 3C proposes a 0.5% sales tax increase, equating to an additional five cents for every $10 spent. The revenue generated would address needs within the Westminster Fire Department, including hiring 45 new firefighters and paramedics, adding two ambulances and fire engines, building a modern training facility and two new fire stations, and renovating three existing ones.
According to firefighter August Rusche, a decade-long veteran and executive board member of the firefighters' union, the funding is necessary to keep up with Westminster’s rapid growth.
“My first year we ran just north of 9,000 calls. Last year we ran 17,000 calls, and we have not increased our number of stations or engines,” Rusche said.
Rusche emphasized that the rise in emergency calls has been dramatic, with a 37% increase in the past three years alone.
While he assured that the department continues to deliver “excellent service,” he noted that “as the city grows, we are starting to see areas of diminished coverage.”
He pointed out that the proposed stations would be built in areas with slower response times, such as near U.S. 36 and Church Ranch Boulevard, and Interstate 25 and 144th Avenue.
The Westminster government website estimates the tax increase would generate around $19 million annually, with contributions from shoppers across the north metro Denver area.
Jefferson County's version of the Blue Book includes some written comments against the measure, including "other jurisdictions use property tax for fire departments" and "this will hurt city residents and drive customers to other businesses in surrounding cities."
Beyond the city’s immediate needs, the funds would also enable Westminster to better support other jurisdictions in times of crisis. Rusche referenced the 2021 Marshall Fire, when Westminster Fire was among the first to respond.
The proposed improvements, he said, would bolster Colorado’s overall firefighting capabilities in an era of increased wildfire risk.