Evergreen Fire Rescue | Financial Record

Evergreen Fire/Rescue has a strong history of financial responsibility, efficiently managing taxpayer dollars. In fact, despite rising costs and increased demand, voters have not been asked for a mill levy increase since 2016 and have never been asked for a sales tax.

Recent state legislation was passed through SB24-194 to allow fire districts to use sales tax as an option to raise additional revenues. A recent survey we conducted of our residents indicated a willingness to support this as an option for increasing revenue.

A sales tax of 0.89% would raise an estimated $5.44 million annually to help maintain the high level of fire and emergency services. The sales tax would NOT apply to groceries or any of the other items listed at the bottom of this page.

Any potential new revenue would fund critical operational and safety areas:

Paid firefighter and paramedic staff
Volunteer recruitment
Wildfire mitigation
Community education
Emergency response capability
Reinforce and rebuild fire stations

Budget Forecast

Here’s a look at projected revenues and expenditures for 2021 - 2031. As you can see, without new revenue we will not be able to meet the growing needs of the community.

Line chart comparing expenses and revenue from 2021 to 2031, showing expenses rising sharply above revenue after 2026 with a shaded gap area.

You can learn more about increasing costs here

Learn more about increasing costs →

Sales Tax

If a sales tax went into effect it would not include items such as food purchased at a grocery store and many other items including the following:

Food for Home Consumption: Groceries (not hot food or restaurant meals).
Medical Supplies: Prescription drugs, insulin, blood-testing kits, and prosthetics prescribed by a doctor.
Agricultural Items: Farm equipment, seeds, pesticides, and livestock used in production.
Manufacturing Equipment: Machinery and machine tools used in manufacturing.
Energy & Fuel: Electricity, coal, gas, and oil used for residential purposes.
Specific Personal Items: Diapers, incontinence products, and period products.
Specialized Items: Beetle wood products, property used in space flight, and certain renewable energy components.
Industry-Specific: Farm equipment and certain heavy-duty vehicle components

Please see the Colorado Department of Revenue’s Sales Tax Guide for more specific information.