The Golden Gate Fire Protection District passed a resolution at the July 20, 2023, meeting for Ballot A in 2024. Jane Snyder sent a resolution to the Board.

The resolution passed unanimously. According the resolution, Ballot Issue A reads as follows: “Shall Golden Gate Fire Protection District be authorized to offset revenue losses from refunds, abatements and changes to the percentage of actual valuation used to determine assessed valuation (in particular to offset revenues that would otherwise be lost due to the ‘Gallagher Amendment’ to the Colorado Constitution) to provide fire, rescue, and emergency services by increasing its operating mill levy beginning in collection year 2020 and annually thereafter; and shall all district revenues be collected, retained and spent notwithstanding any limits provided by law?”

Ballot Issue A contains the following three conditions, all of which must be met before the District can use Ballot Issue A to increase its operating mill levy.

Funds must be used only “to offset revenue losses. Those losses can result only “from refunds, abatements and changes to the percentage of actual valuation used to determine assessed valuation,” and those funds obtained by increasing the operating mill levy can only be used “to provide fire, rescue, and emergency services.

Ballot Issue A applies only to raising the mill levy for the scenarios described in its text and that voter authorization would continue to be required if the district wanted to raise its mill levy for reasons outside Ballot Issue A, such as higher operating mill levy or debt repayment with dedicated property tax revenue.

In November 2020, Colorado voters repealed the “Gallagher Amendment” to the Colorado Constitution, which was a key motivation for enacting Ballot Issue A, but the Colorado General Assembly continues to mandate refunds, abatements, and changes to the percentage of actual valuation used to determine assessed valuation in a manner that could, in the future, destabilize District finances,

The resolution continues: “Be it resolved by the Board of Directors of the Golden Gate Fire Protection District of Jefferson County, Colorado, that Ballot Issue A shall be implemented only in conformance with its three conditions and that a unanimous vote of the members of the Board will be required to implement a mill levy increase under Ballot Issue A.”

At a previous meeting, the Board voted not to implement Ballot A during their terms. At this July 20 meeting, the Board voted to approve the resolution.

Chief Benson reported that the district has 18 members currently on the roster, including two on leave of absence. They have processed six applications for operational volunteers and four applications for support services. They are expecting one additional by the end of the week.

All applicants have passed background investigations. The operational volunteer candidates will be interviewed in the beginning of August. Support services volunteers have all been interviewed and will be onboarded in the first week of August, although several have already begun to perform within their roles.

The GGFPD support services division will now include the positions of financial officer, human resources officer, community outreach coordinator, digital information manager/ public information officer, and family information officer. All support services positions will report directly to the Fire Chief.

Brian Gockel has been appointed to a probationary Lieutenant role. Gockel will be assuming responsibility for Station 83 and the fleet. The Department has had two applications for the position of resident at Station 82. Both were excellent candidates, and after discussion, the position was offered to Nicole McDaniel.

They will be moving into Station 82 in August.

Communications will go through Rebecca, who will post news with various media. Only certain messages get out. Everything goes through the Board.

Benson proposed a budget committee, and the Board approved.

The next Regular Board Meeting with Pension Board Meeting will take place at 6:30 p.m. August 17, 2023, at 7 p.m. For more information go to https://goldengatefire.org.