Fruita residents will soon open their mailboxes to find a ballot that asks a simple but heavy question: Are you willing to pay more in property taxes to keep police and fire services strong? The city wants to raise $975,000 a year starting in 2027 for five years. Every voter will decide if rapid growth is worth the extra cost.
What Exactly Is on the April 7 Ballot?
Ballot measure 2A asks voters to approve a new property tax of up to 3.95 mills dedicated solely to public safety.
City officials say the increase will generate about $975,000 annually beginning in 2027 and running through 2031. The money stays local and can only be spent on police, fire, and emergency response needs.
For the owner of a $500,000 home, the extra tax would be roughly $173 per year, or about $14 a month. For a $600,000 home, it jumps to around $208 a year.
This is a TABOR question. Under Colorado’s Taxpayer’s Bill of Rights, any new tax needs direct voter approval. Fruita cannot raise this money without a yes vote.
Growth Is Outrunning Current Funding
Fruita added more than 2,000 new residents in the last four years alone. Call volume for police and fire has jumped 40 percent since 2019.
The police department is down several officers and cannot fill open positions with current pay scales. Fire response times on the east side of town are getting longer because the nearest station is aging and too small.
City manager Mike Bennett told council members last fall that without new revenue, the city will have to cut staff hours or delay equipment replacement as early as 2026.
“We are at the breaking point,” Bennett said. “We can either grow the revenue or shrink the service. There is no third option.”
Where Every Dollar Would Go
The city has published a detailed five-year plan:
- Hire four new police officers and two dispatchers
- Buy two new fire engines and replace outdated gear
- Build a new fire station on the east side near the high school
- Add paramedic training and keep ambulances fully staffed
- Upgrade radios and body cameras for officers
No money can go to parks, roads, or general city expenses. If the measure passes, an oversight committee of citizens will review spending each year.
Voices on Both Sides
Supporters, including most city council members, the police chief, and fire district leaders, say public safety is not a luxury item you fund with leftovers.
Several residents have formed a “No New Taxes in Fruita” group. They argue the city should cut administrative costs first and live within existing revenue like every household has to do.
Long-time resident John McClure said at a recent town hall, “I love our cops and firefighters, but I am on a fixed income. Another tax feels like a punch in the gut.”
How and When to Vote
Ballots go out this week. The election is April 7, 2025.
You can mail your ballot, drop it at the 24-hour box outside the Fruita Civic Center, or vote in person on election day until 7 p.m.
Every vote matters in city elections. In the last similar measure in 2021, the margin was only 312 votes.
Fruita stands at a crossroads familiar to fast-growing Colorado towns: keep services at the level residents expect, or accept longer response times and thinner staffing. The ballot you receive this week is not just another piece of mail. It is the community’s chance to say what kind of town Fruita wants to be for the next generation.
What do you think? Will you vote yes to fund police and fire, or no to hold the line on taxes? Drop your thoughts in the comments below and let your neighbors know where you stand.
