Adams County Fire Protection District Ballot Issue 6E

Last updated Sat, Nov 7, 4:07 PM ET

Ballot measure · November 3, 2026 · Only voters in this district

What it does
SHALL ADAMS COUNTY FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT TAXES BE INCREASED $11,732,488 (FIRST FULL FISCAL YEAR DOLLAR INCREASE) AND BY WHATEVER AMOUNTS AS ARE RAISED ANNUALLY THEREAFTER, FROM A 1.0% SALES TAX, WHICH IS ONE DOLLAR ON EVERY $100 PURCHASE, EXCLUDING EVERYDAY NECESSITIES LIKE GROCERIES, GAS, PRESCRIPTIONS, AND DIAPERS, FOR THE PURPOSES OF MAINTAINING VITAL EMERGENCY SERVICES, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO: • REDUCING EMERGENCY RESPONSE TIMES; • MAINTAINING ADEQUATE NUMBERS OF FIRST RESPONDERS AND FIREFIGHTERS; • PROTECTING THE SAFETY AND HEALTH OF FIREFIGHTERS AND PARAMEDICS BY REPLACING AND UPDATING ESSENTIAL EQUIPMENT; AND, • PROVIDING UPDATED TRAINING AND EQUIPMENT FOR MEDICAL EMERGENCIES, FIRES, AND RESCUES. WITH ALL REVENUES AND EXPENDITURES REPORTED IN THE DISTRICT'S ANNUAL INDEPENDENT AUDIT PUBLISHED ON THE DISTRICT'S WEBSITE AND REVIEWED BY A CITIZEN BOARD OF DIRECTORS; SUCH SALES TAX TO BE IN ADDITION TO ALL OTHER TAXES LEVIED BY THE DISTRICT, AND SHALL THE DISTRICT BE AUTHORIZED TO COLLECT, RETAIN, AND SPEND ALL REVENUE GENERATED BY SUCH TAX EXCEEDING THE LIMITATION IN SECTION 20 OF ARTICLE X OF THE COLORADO CONSTITUTION AS A VOTER-APPROVED REVENUE CHANGE AND AN EXCEPTION TO THE LIMITATIONS SET FORTH IN SECTION 29-1-301 OF THE COLORADO REVISED STATUTES, AND ANY OTHER LAW?
A YES vote means
Adams County Fire Protection District would add a 1.0% sales tax, excluding groceries, gas, prescriptions and diapers, raising $11,732,488 the first full year, for emergency services such as response times, staffing, equipment and training.
A NO vote means
Adams County Fire Protection District would not add the 1.0% sales tax.
What it would cost
1% sales tax: $1 on a $100 taxable purchase.
Needed to pass
A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.
Left–right lean
Unclear: our AI read of the official summary isn't confident enough (we require 70%) to place this on the left–right spectrum, so we don't. Read the summary and decide for yourself.

The YES and NO lines are SpectrumVote's plain-language reading of the official text above; the official text is what you vote on.

Official text: source

Only on your ballot if you live in the Adams County Fire Protection District.

Explained

Today

  • Adams County Fire Protection District provides emergency medical care, fire suppression, rescue, hazardous-materials response and fire prevention from four stations with Denver mailing addresses (ZIP codes 80221, 80216 and 80229).
  • The district says it relies mainly on property tax, that property tax revenue has grown more slowly than its costs, and that it has not sought a tax increase in over 17 years.
  • The district does not levy a sales tax now.

If it passes

  • Adds a 1.0% district sales tax (one dollar on every $100 purchase) on top of all other district taxes, with no end date in the ballot question.
  • Groceries, gas, prescriptions and diapers are excluded, per the ballot question; the district's page also lists feminine hygiene products and purchases benefiting schools as excluded.
  • The district estimates up to $11,732,488 in the first full fiscal year (2027), for response times, staffing, equipment replacement and training.
  • The district could keep and spend all of the revenue even if it exceeds the TABOR limit (Article X, Section 20 of the Colorado Constitution) and state statute 29-1-301.

Example

The ballot question describes the 1.0% rate as one dollar on every $100 purchase, so a $40 taxable purchase in the district would carry 40 cents of district sales tax. Excluded items such as groceries and gas would carry none. (source)

Who would notice

Anyone who buys taxable goods inside the district, including non-residents who shop there. Property taxes do not change under this question.

How it got here

The district placed the question on the November 3, 2026 coordinated ballot. The district says general fund spending is up about 126% over the past decade and estimates about $33 million in capital needs (apparatus, medical equipment and stations) over the next 10 years.

Written by SpectrumVote from 3 linked sources (1, 2, 3). Arguments are each side's own, not ours; the official text is what you vote on.

Background

Adams County Fire Protection District says it relies primarily on property tax. It says a district sales tax became an option for Colorado fire districts for the first time in 2024.

The district says the 1% tax would apply to purchases within its boundaries except items exempt from sales tax by law, such as prescriptions, food for home consumption, diapers, feminine hygiene products and purchases benefiting schools.

The district estimates the tax would raise up to $11,732,488 in fiscal year 2027.

The board approved Resolution 2026-005 enacting the sales tax, subject to the election, and Resolution 2026-006 setting election procedures, both unanimously on August 19, 2026.

Put on the ballot by Adams County Fire Protection District Board of Directors, unanimous, August 19, 2026 (Resolutions 2026-005 and 2026-006).

From official source 1, official source 2.

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Quick answers

What does a YES vote on Adams County Fire Protection District Ballot Issue 6E mean?
Adams County Fire Protection District would add a 1.0% sales tax, excluding groceries, gas, prescriptions and diapers, raising $11,732,488 the first full year, for emergency services such as response times, staffing, equipment and training.
What does a NO vote on Adams County Fire Protection District Ballot Issue 6E mean?
Adams County Fire Protection District would not add the 1.0% sales tax.
Does this raise my property tax?
No. It is a sales tax, and the ballot question says it is in addition to the district's other taxes, which it does not change.
How much would it raise?
The ballot question says $11,732,488 in the first full fiscal year, and whatever the tax raises each year after that.
How will spending be reported?
The ballot question says all revenues and spending will be reported in the district's annual independent audit, published on its website.
How many votes does Adams County Fire Protection District Ballot Issue 6E need to pass?
A simple majority: more than half of the YES and NO votes on this measure must be YES. Leaving it blank doesn't count either way.
Should I vote yes or no on Adams County Fire Protection District Ballot Issue 6E?
SpectrumVote doesn't endorse anyone or tell you how to vote. Read what a YES and a NO vote each do, and the official text, then decide based on what you want to happen.
When is the vote?
The general election was Tuesday, November 3, 2026. Counts are unofficial until each state certifies its results over the following weeks; your state or county election office has the official results.

Not sure how to decide? Read our nonpartisan guide to the Adams County ballot.

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