One of the best fire departments in the country serves West Colfax. This November, our community has a chance to make sure it stays that way.
Here’s something worth knowing about the people who show up when something goes wrong: West Metro Fire Rescue is exceptional.
Class 1 ISO rating — the highest in the nation. Nationally accredited. Award-winning budget management. 425 firefighter-paramedics across 17 stations, showing up every single day for the 300,000+ people who call this district home.
And here’s something else worth knowing: they need our help.
West Metro Fire Chief Jeremy Metz has spent the summer traveling across the metro — Wheat Ridge, Roxborough, Morrison, Lakewood, the Jefferson County Board of County Commissioners — delivering a clear, honest message about where the district stands financially.
The numbers show a $40 million funding gap projected by 2027. But the story behind those numbers is one of a remarkable public institution doing everything right in the face of circumstances largely outside its control — and a community that has the power to step up.
“West Metro has a long track record of responsible financial management while providing a high level of emergency service to our community,” said West Metro Fire Chief Jeremy Metz. “We know that our community values the work our firefighters and paramedics do every day, and we’re grateful for the trust and support they’ve shown West Metro over the years. As demand for emergency services continues to rise, maintaining that strong partnership with the community will be critical to meet the level of service our community expects and depends on.”
The math is simple, even if the situation isn’t
Over the last decade, the cost of running a world-class fire district has climbed 137 percent. Fuel, personnel, training, infrastructure — everything costs more. A fire engine that ran $720,000 in 2018 is projected to hit nearly $2 million by 2030.
Meanwhile, a series of state legislative changes between 2020 and 2024 — bills designed to provide property tax relief to homeowners — had the unintended consequence of significantly reducing the revenue base that fire districts depend on. Revenues have grown just 66 percent over the same period, while expenses grew 137 percent.
That’s a structural problem. And it’s one that communities across Colorado are grappling with right now. The good news is that West Colfax and Lakewood residents have a direct, concrete way to do something about it.
The district’s Community Advisory Group — 16 community leaders who spent three months reviewing every corner of the finances — concluded that the district is high-performing, efficient, and worthy of community investment.
Their recommendation: put a 0.5 percent sales tax measure on the November 2026 ballot, generating approximately $27.8 million per year to close the gap, modernize aging infrastructure, and keep pace with a growing community.
The community already gets it
A March 2026 public poll tells a hopeful story. After learning about West Metro’s situation, 60 percent of voters said yes to the sales tax measure.
More striking: 82 percent of respondents said they have confidence in the district’s ability to spend the money well. That’s not cynicism about government — that’s a community that trusts the people protecting them and is ready to invest in keeping that protection strong.
The math on the sales tax is worth understanding. At 0.5 percent, someone spending $500 a month on taxable goods pays roughly $2.50 extra per month.
That $2.50 helps fund the equipment, the stations, and the paramedics who show up in under seven minutes when someone in our neighborhood needs help most.
This is our moment
West Colfax is a corridor in motion. New housing, new businesses, new families. The community is growing fast, and so is the demand for the emergency services that keep it safe.
Calls for service have already jumped 21 percent since 2017, with a projected 56 percent increase by 2035. A district this good, serving a corridor growing this fast, deserves a funding foundation that can keep up.
This isn’t about bailing out a struggling institution. This is about investing in one that’s already proven it deserves it.
West Metro shows up for this community every single day. November is our turn.
