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The Sugar Loaf Fire Protection District relies primarily on property taxes to fund our operation, although we typically also receive money from fund raising projects, donations and grants.
Property Tax Mill Levy *** Ballot Issue Info Below ***
As a special district, the SLFPD collects property taxes from the property owners within its boundaries. If you live within the boundaries of the Sugar Loaf Fire Protection District, part of the property tax you pay goes to support the activites of the District.
The annual property tax for an individual property in the District =
Actual Property Value x Assessment Rate x Mill Levy
(the Actual Property Value x Assessment Rate = Assessed Value).
In 2011, the Boulder County Assessment Rate is 7.96% for residential property,
29% for all other property. Your total tax bill is a function of all the Mill levies you pay, such as school tax, Regional Transportation District tax, fire protection tax, etc.
For its part of your tax bill, the SLFPD currently has two mill levies: one for general operating expenses, which is perpetual in nature, and a second, also perpetual, to raise money to replace outdated trucks. The general fund tax rate is 0.3576 percent (3.576 Mills, or $3.576 per $1,000 of assessed value), the capital expenditure tax rate is 0.3988 percent (3.988 Mills), for a total tax rate of 0.7564 percent (7.564 Mills).
Therefore, for residential property the District will collect $60.21 per $100,000 of actual value ($100,000 x 0.0796 x 7.564 /1000), of which $28.47 will go towards the general fund and $31.74 towards the capital fund.
Similarly, for non-residential property the District will collect $195.40 per $100,000 of actual value.
District Budget
The SLFPD obtains funds from property taxes, fund raising events, donations and grants. In 2011, the District's budget was, in round numbers:
Income
$174k - property tax
$ 51k - donations, fund raisers, fees, etc
$ 82k - grants and specific fire income
$307k - total
Expenditures
$ 78k - administrative (insurance, utilities, etc)
$ 86k - operating (supplies, repairs, training)
$ 149k - capital (radios, new UTV, etc plus set-aside for future truck and equipment purchases)
$ 51k - grant purchases and specific fire costs (mitigation costs, UTV, radios, etc)
$365k - total
*** Ballot and Voting Information ***
Here are points of clarification regarding the specifics of voting.
First, you may fold your ballot in half such that it fits inside the secrecy envelope. DO NOT remove the tab with the number on the top.
Monday, April 30 between 3pm and 7pm
Wednesday, May 2 between 3pm and 7pm
Friday, May 4 between 3pm and 7pm
Tuesday, May 8 between 7am and 7pm
There will be election personnel on hand during those times to answer questions about the ballots.
*** Ballot Issue Information ***
TABOR NOTICE CORRECTION: The Tabor notice for the May 8 mail-ballot election incorrectly stated that the youngest fire truck owned by the District is 21 years old. This statement was intended to indicate that the average age of the fire trucks owned by the District is 21 years.
Ballot issue 5A on the ballot for the May 8, 2012 mail-in election seeks to raise the operating mill levy from 3.576 to 7.0. The combined operating and capital mill levy total will be 10.988. Note that the capital mill levy rate for the 5 years prior to 2012 was 3.3-3.5; the higher 2012 value is due to the drop in total district property value, presumably due to the Four Mile Fire. There is no way to predict when or if these values will return to their 2010 amounts.
The increased mill levy will result in approximately $70,000 more tax revenue for the district. See the fact sheet below for approximate property owner impacts. These additional funds will be used to provide firefighter and medical training to district volunteers, replace aging equipment, and pay for rising administrative and operating expenses for the District.
