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Fountain residents will vote on a public safety tax this November that would increase property taxes to hire more police officers and firefighters. 

According to the city of Fountain website, the proposed property tax increase would create $1.7 million in dedicated funding each year as a “funding source for the city’s police, fire/EMS services, personnel and programs.”

If the measure passes, property taxes in Fountain will increase. If the ballot measure fails to pass, property taxes in Fountain will remain the same. 

The property tax increase, if voters approve it, would “cost a homeowner about $188 annually or $16 per month for a home with an assessed value of $410,000,” according to the website. 

Proponents have said the ballot measure is needed because of a dramatic population growth projection. An estimated 17,000 to 23,000 people are expected to move to Fountain “in future years,” the city’s website states.

The rise, the site says, along with an increased crime rate in Fountain and statewide, comes with a need for additional resources for the local police and fire departments. 

In a previous interview with The Gazette, Police Chief Chris Heberer said the increase in funding and additional police officers are necessary to help fight the raising rate of crime as well as requests for services that have driven the number of calls to Fountain police up from about 38,600 in 2020 to about 47,000 in 2021.

“The art is not asking for too much to be respectful, but then asking for enough that it makes a difference,” he said. The Police Department has funding for 61 officers and 58 positions are filled, he said. 

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The city of Fountain conducted a survey earlier this spring to determine the community’s approval of the proposed tax increase. While most respondents – 70% – approved, there were some who opposed it.

Those who indicated they would vote against the initiative said in the survey they think the cost of living in Fountain is already too expensive, they distrust how the police may spend the money, and are generally dissatisfied with the Fountain Police Department, survey results show.

“Inflation and can’t afford taxes already assessed. Asking for more money at the wrong time,” one man said in response to why he would vote no on the ballot measure. 

“The community doesn’t need more police, it needs more firefighters, mental health resources and education,” a woman said. 

If the ballot measure passes, the city plans to hire six police officers to “support increased traffic enforcement, reduced response times, increased police presence citywide, and resources dedicated to addressing crimes against children, sex trafficking and financial crimes,” the city website states.

Additionally, if the ballot measure passes it will fund a third full-time ambulance unit, salaries for six new firefighters and paramedics, and additional firefighter capabilities. The tax increase would not fund construction of the new fire and police substations the city plans to build by 2025.