By Mason Osgood

This November’s election, voters decide on a mill levy increase to fund the Norwood Fire Protection District and their operations in San Miguel and Montrose County. The Norwood Fire Protection district encompasses over 800 square miles in these two counties, providing EMS, fire, and wildland fire response year round. The district employs several full time paramedics, and many part-time and volunteer firefighters across the district. Currently, the district operates on a little over four hundred thousand dollars a year, with funds primarily from property taxes. And despite their service area doubling in 2023, they only received an additional forty five thousand dollars from the included taxes. 

Recently Governor Jared Polis signed a law that property tax rates. While funding for school districts remains the same, fire districts receive less money this coming year. The mill levy would increase property taxes roughly $37 dollars per $100,000 dollars of assessed property value. For Norwood, that means a reduction from four hundred thousand to three hundred and eight thousand dollars of tax revenue a year. The Norwood Fire Protection District is seeking to increase funding from the proposed mill levy. This money would fund necessary equipment upgrades such as ambulances, medical supplies, and wages for the full and part time employees of the district.

The Norwood Fire protection district staff was present at an informational meeting in Redvale last Saturday September 21st. Chief John Bockrath led the meeting, and answered questions from Redvale residents who were concerned about what the mill levy increase would go to. Bockrath spoke to the changing nature of fire districts. 

Bockrath says, “However, the primary reason for this is people, is personnel. Things have changed so much over the years we dont have the volunteers that we used to have, people dont wanna work for nothing 

He added, “In the last two years alone, over 2000 volunteer fire companies across the country have either been absorbed by municipalities or by counties, they have failed because they dont have the volunteer base they used to have”

Longtime Redvale resident Bruce Kerr attended the meeting and questioned why equipment such as ambulances are so expensive lately, with new ambulances costing over three hundred thousand dollars. 

Kerr stated, “Today we’re talking millions and billions, how did that happen?”

In attendance with Chief Bockrath, was the rest of the protection district crew, some of whom have been responding to emergency calls for years,

Bockrath says,“Nancy, Nancy is 72 years old, Nancy is one of my top responders. ‘She took me to the hospital’”

That’s Kerr, who at 84 years old, acknowledges the importance of emergency services, but is concerned about how expensive these services are lately. 

If the mill levy does not pass during the election in November, the protection district would be forced to cut some of their staff, and availability of services would be stressed, and in an area of over 800 square miles, it would inevitably increase the response time of 911 calls. Bockrath explains that he’s committed to making sure emergency services remain consistent in this region. 

He says,“Its critical that we get people because when you call 911 you expect somebody to show up”

Information regarding the Norwood Fire Protection District Mill Levy increase can be found by searching those words in google, or stopping by the Norwood fire station during operating hours. K-O-T-O community radio is also hosting a live off the record discussion on both the school district mill levy and fire protection district mill levy on October 15. Find more information on our 2024 election coverage by heading to KOTO.org