Sales Tax Initiative

Pueblo West Fire Department presented a sales tax initiative to The Pueblo West Metropolitan Board of Directors to support the Fire Department at the July 13, 2020 regular board meeting. 

We discussed a potential fire sales tax initiative and ask for approval to move forward with this initiative. Ultimately, the Pueblo West community would determine if this is something that they would support through a ballot initiative on the November 2020 ballot. 

The sales tax would be the first of its kind for the special metropolitan district of Pueblo West. It would fund and provide additional support to the Pueblo West Fire Department with Pueblo West’s first ever sales tax of 1% to help the department meet national staffing standards as well as build and staff a new fire station in the Southwest region of Pueblo West near the Shrine Club and General Store. Presently, this part of Pueblo West does not have a dedicated fire station. 

If approved, residents in Pueblo West would have much quicker response times for fire and medical calls and many could experience a discount in their homeowners insurance cost by having a fire station closer to their home. 

The sales tax would be 1%, 1 cent for every $1 spent on applicable purchases. This would not include groceries and would only apply in Pueblo West. 

If approved, there would be a citizen’s oversight committee comprised of Pueblo West residents to ensure the funds are spent as promised. 

Pueblo West currently has two fire stations that are staffed at half the national standards. Station 3 services the North side of Highway 50 to include I-25 and Fire Station 1 covers the entire Southern area of Pueblo West. Right now there is limited coverage for the Southwest region which costs homeowners additional insurance as well as response times to reach them. 

A great example is the brush fire that occurred on Thursday, July 2, 2020. The fire happened off of Tejon Way near the Pueblo West line and threatened a home. Had fire station 2 been there (proposed location - West McCulloch Blvd. near the general store) the response time to the fire would have been 2 minutes instead of 14 minutes.  

The last time a fire station was built in Pueblo West was 2008. Pueblo West’s population and new home builds have grown significantly in the last 12 years. Additionally, the Pueblo West Fire Department’s call volume has doubled since the last Fire Station came into service. Most communities of similar size to Pueblo West are serviced by three fire stations. This initiative would help get Pueblo West residents the coverage and safety they need. 

Pueblo West Fire Station not only responds to fire calls, but to emergency calls for heart attacks, chest pain, stroke, traumatic injuries and all car accidents, including I-25 accidents and car fires. 

Our services are vital to the community in times of need and are always the first responders to these emergency incidents.