[quote name='Image7801' timestamp='1341639340' post='491426']
These Fire Districts are called [url="http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/DOLA-Main/CBON/1251594652456"]Special Districts[/url]. They are similar to municipalities, except they cover their own specific geographic areas and collect specific taxes through mill levies set through votes, etc... This is similar to School Districts, Parks and Rec Districts, etc... They are generally governed by their own Boards of Directors, who approve expenditures, budgets, etc... In many cases in Colorado, special districts exist in unincorporated areas (i.e. those areas not within the annexed area of Cities), or were in existence before Cities were founded. In West Metro's case, it is a special district that covers much of the west part of the Denver Metro Area, including the incorporated City of Lakewood and unincorporated Jefferson County. Two of the three Departments that combined to make up West Metro (Lakewood FPD and Bancroft FPD) have existed since 1937 and 1947, respectively, well before Lakewood incorporated (1969). That's pretty much why they still exist. In Arizona you have special Fire Districts (Sun City, Sun City West, Sun Lakes, etc...) that cover areas of Metro Phoenix that are basically unincorporated "Cities" which receive municipal services through several entities (generally fire through their own district, law enforcement through contracts, generally with the Maricopa County SD, water from private companies, etc...). Like in Colorado, fire services are taxed through a special taxing district.
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Not that many will care, but much of Illinois is set up this way. For the most part, fire departments are either municipal and are funded by city taxes, and answer to city government and have to "share" the same revenue stream, or they are "fire protection districts" with their own taxes and governed by a board of trustees that run the fiscal end and handle oversight of the chief. As an example my fire district covers the southern half a of an incorporated village, rural area of our county, and areas within the city of Rockford that haven't been annexed into the city. There are a few other models of how a fire department can be run in the state, but they're rare. Some others are corporations, etc.
My opinion, the primary advantages of such districts are they we don't compete with other agencies for our budget annually, and since we're all property tax funded, we don't get the same swings in revenue a sales tax driven budget would see during a bad economy. We're actually pretty fortunate in my area, as the water system for our village is also a special "district" and has a fantastic water system, and our sewer treatment is handled by a very large district that handles all the waste water from many cities and villages, but does so efficiently and is highly rated by the EPA. I personally believe this is because Peter isn't robbing Paul to fund this or that. Each district knows their revenue, works within those limits, and does a pretty good job.
Now all we need to do is get a referendum passed for an ambulance district, and we'll be set...
EDIT: There's also a recent push to start the idea of consolidation of services, and I think we'll end up being part of a combined district at some point, but our taxes are all too "different" to go that route at this point. I'd be surprised in the next ten to twenty years if we aren't combined with another district.
These Fire Districts are called [url="http://www.colorado.gov/cs/Satellite/DOLA-Main/CBON/1251594652456"]Special Districts[/url]. They are similar to municipalities, except they cover their own specific geographic areas and collect specific taxes through mill levies set through votes, etc... This is similar to School Districts, Parks and Rec Districts, etc... They are generally governed by their own Boards of Directors, who approve expenditures, budgets, etc... In many cases in Colorado, special districts exist in unincorporated areas (i.e. those areas not within the annexed area of Cities), or were in existence before Cities were founded. In West Metro's case, it is a special district that covers much of the west part of the Denver Metro Area, including the incorporated City of Lakewood and unincorporated Jefferson County. Two of the three Departments that combined to make up West Metro (Lakewood FPD and Bancroft FPD) have existed since 1937 and 1947, respectively, well before Lakewood incorporated (1969). That's pretty much why they still exist. In Arizona you have special Fire Districts (Sun City, Sun City West, Sun Lakes, etc...) that cover areas of Metro Phoenix that are basically unincorporated "Cities" which receive municipal services through several entities (generally fire through their own district, law enforcement through contracts, generally with the Maricopa County SD, water from private companies, etc...). Like in Colorado, fire services are taxed through a special taxing district.
[/quote]
Not that many will care, but much of Illinois is set up this way. For the most part, fire departments are either municipal and are funded by city taxes, and answer to city government and have to "share" the same revenue stream, or they are "fire protection districts" with their own taxes and governed by a board of trustees that run the fiscal end and handle oversight of the chief. As an example my fire district covers the southern half a of an incorporated village, rural area of our county, and areas within the city of Rockford that haven't been annexed into the city. There are a few other models of how a fire department can be run in the state, but they're rare. Some others are corporations, etc.
My opinion, the primary advantages of such districts are they we don't compete with other agencies for our budget annually, and since we're all property tax funded, we don't get the same swings in revenue a sales tax driven budget would see during a bad economy. We're actually pretty fortunate in my area, as the water system for our village is also a special "district" and has a fantastic water system, and our sewer treatment is handled by a very large district that handles all the waste water from many cities and villages, but does so efficiently and is highly rated by the EPA. I personally believe this is because Peter isn't robbing Paul to fund this or that. Each district knows their revenue, works within those limits, and does a pretty good job.
Now all we need to do is get a referendum passed for an ambulance district, and we'll be set...
EDIT: There's also a recent push to start the idea of consolidation of services, and I think we'll end up being part of a combined district at some point, but our taxes are all too "different" to go that route at this point. I'd be surprised in the next ten to twenty years if we aren't combined with another district.
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