A proposed sales tax increase to support the Arvada Fire Protection District appeared headed for defeat, with unofficial results showing a narrow majority against ballot question 6C. Results posted by the Colorado Secretary of State’s office as of Nov. 5 showed 38,222 votes against the measure, or 50.77%, and 37,064 in favor, or 49.23%.
The measure would have increased sales tax by 1% within the district to help maintain firefighter and paramedic staffing, support emergency vehicles and equipment, and modernize facilities. In a social media statement, Fire Chief Kirk Lock acknowledged that passage appeared unlikely, while emphasizing that the financial problems behind the proposal remained unresolved.
Lock attributed those pressures to rapidly increasing emergency service costs and recent legislation affecting assessment rates. He warned that those factors, combined with the election outcome, would threaten the district’s ability to deliver its highest level of emergency and risk reduction services. Leadership, the board and district members would face difficult spending decisions, he said, while seeking to preserve essential services and manage finances responsibly.
Deputy Chief of Operations Matthew Osier described Arvada Fire as “disappointed but not discouraged” and said contingency planning was underway. Emergency service delivery costs have risen substantially over the past several years, he said, while state law has capped property tax growth. The district plans to examine its operations to find ways to extend its resources and continue providing services.
Arvada Fire previously sought voter support for a property tax increase in 2009. Osier said that successful measure was intended to provide funding for 10 years, and the district stretched it a few years further. For the latest proposal, financial experts reviewed the budget and forecasts and determined that $23.1 million would provide roughly eight to 10 years before another funding source would be needed, he said.
The city council opposed 6C over its use of sales tax. At an Oct. 6 meeting, council liaison Shawna Ambrose said the city would support a property tax increase but opposed a sales tax increase. She said the objection did not question the department’s equipment needs or its relationship with the city. Sales tax supports municipal services, she explained, including costly road maintenance across Arvada.
In a statement to Denver7, the council said the close result reflected differing community views about funding emergency services while balancing other needs and the overall tax burden. Council members said they wanted to continue working with Arvada Fire on solutions that preserve services while considering residents’ affordability, business competitiveness and the community’s long-term financial capacity.
Osier said it was too soon to know whether the district would pursue another ballot initiative. Its immediate focus, he said, was listening to residents and respecting their decision. Elsewhere, similar proposals appeared likely to pass, including a 1% sales tax increase in Adams County, a 0.75% increase in West Metro and a 0.89% increase sought by Evergreen Fire Rescue.
The local funding debate comes amid broader statewide shortfalls. Colorado’s 2026 Fire Service Needs Assessment, released in August by the Division of Fire Prevention and Control, found that two-thirds of fire departments could not fully fund operations. Nearly 80% could not afford the equipment and staffing they reported needing.
