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Would a sales tax reduce the property tax reliance (lower the costs) or would it be in conjuction to the existing taxes even if it's successful in bridging the gap and beyond?   If sales tax were to be put on a future ballot and pass, we would need to give it a little time to assess how much revenue is actually generated from the new tax and then proceed with recommendations to the Board to balance out the combination of property tax/sales tax for continued sustainment of district services, in the best interest of our citizens.  We do envision the property tax mill levy being reduced over time.

Sales tax on its own would not cover district expenses, as annual operations alone exceed 5 million dollars.  

• Property & Special Ownership Taxes cover approximately 4.3 million.
• Wildland Deployment Revenue & Ambulance Billing Revenue cover the rest.  Unfortunately, we cannot count on these to bring in “excess” net revenue – we just count on them breaking even against their associated expenses.

Capital expenses (replacement apparatus, equipment/tools, PPE, and facilities) are an additional necessary (and very expensive) cost.  We have to plan well in advance for these purchases as they (in total) can exceed millions of dollars, and on-time replacement is critical for ensuring continuity of operations and the safety of our firefighters.

While we don’t envision sales tax ever replacing property tax, what we hope to see is sales tax reducing the district’s dependence upon property tax and providing an opportunity to reduce our property tax mill levy in the future.  We do think the impact of sales tax will be minimal for our district residents as we don’t have any big box stores, department or grocery stores in the district.  The tax only applies to purchases made INSIDE the district.  Think about our large commercial facilities and local businesses whose customers primarily come from outside our district.  They would be contributing to fire service funding.

To put this all in perspective – How much money do you actually spend INSIDE the district?  Multiply that number by .01 to estimate your sales tax impact.

After scanning the QR code and reading more on the issue, I think it makes the most sense to add the 1% sales tax to all sales in the Cimmaron Hills Fire District. An update to funding is needed to match the changes in our community, including increasing community size, greater frequency of calls both inside and outside the district, and apparently, changes to the property tax laws. I say to stike while the iron is hot in regards to the passing of Senate Bill 194.  1972 is even older than me, so definitely need to update the station and fire apparatus and I fully agree this will help attract the most qualified personnel to this district. To conclude, adding this 1% sales tax seems like not only a reasonable means, but the best means to benefit all residents and non-residents of Cimmaron Hills.  Melissa J