Residents in the Four Mile Fire Protection District west of Cripple Creek in Teller County will decide in November whether to raise property taxes to fund the district.

A “yes” vote would increase the mill levy on residents of the district from 5.953 mills to 10.653 mills, to bring in $185,000 more in revenue in 2022.

A “no” vote would leave the mill levy on residents in the district at 5.953 mills, which is expected to generate $246,167 in 2021.

If the question passes, a resident with a home worth $300,000 would see their property taxes increase about $100.82 a year, said Fire Chief Jay Teague.

Four Mile needs the additional revenue because its vehicles are “severely

aged” and two stations are in need of renovation, he said. The district has also seen the number of calls it responds to and public service activities double over the last two years, he said.

“Operational costs and expenses have inflated beyond the average increase in property values,” he said.

The district has also added volunteer firefighters, and that comes with costs. Outfitting a firefighter costs about $10,000, not including training, uniforms or other expenses such as insurance, he said.

The district only pays a handful of staff and had recruited more than 60 volunteers as of this summer, up from about six a year and a half ago.