Arvada Fire Protection District 2026 Ballot Measure Survey

Magellan Strategies is pleased to present the topline results of a survey of 977 voters in the Arvada Fire Protection District. The interviews were conducted from March 9th to 16th, 2026.

Voters in the Arvada Fire Protection District demonstrated strong familiarity with and approval of the District’s services. Seventy percent of respondents reported being very or somewhat familiar with the services provided by the District, and a strong majority — 79% — approved of the District’s job in providing fire protection, ambulance, and emergency medical services. However, awareness of the District as a separate governmental entity from the City of Arvada was more limited: 40% of voters reported knowing the District operated independently, while 58% were unaware.

Voters expressed less certainty about the District’s financial resources, with only 43% believing it had sufficient funding to provide an acceptable level of services, 21% saying it did not, and 36% unsure. Regarding fiscal stewardship, 54% agreed that the District was fiscally responsible and spent taxpayer money wisely, while 42% had no opinion. Voters also expressed clear concern about growing public safety demands, with 64% saying fire risk had increased in their community over the past five years, and 63% saying the need for ambulance and emergency medical services had increased as well.

Before being presented with detailed information about the District’s financial situation, an initial question on general support for a modest tax increase found that 69% of voters supported it, 20% opposed, and 11% unsure. Two specific ballot measures were then tested without additional context. A 1.0% sales tax increase received 66% support and 25% opposition, while a 7.25-mill property tax increase received lower support at 54% in favor and 34% opposed. When asked to choose between the two measures, 51% preferred the sales tax option, 17% preferred the property tax option, and 18% preferred neither.

Voters were then presented with a series of informational statements about the District’s operations, needs, and financial challenges to measure the persuasive impact of key messages. Information about the District’s scope of service — 11 fire stations, approximately 60 square miles, more than 250 employees, and roughly 145,000 residents served — moved 68% of voters toward approval. Details about current staffing levels of 202 first responders and 50 support staff, and the District’s capacity to respond to complex emergencies, increased the likelihood of approval among 71% of voters.

Information about the District’s elite accreditation status — one of only seven agencies in Colorado accredited by the Commission of Fire Accreditation International with an Insurance Services Office rating of 1 — moved 74% of voters toward approval. The significant growth in calls for service, from 14,949 in 2016 to 19,025 in 2025, with 74% of those calls being emergency medical calls, was among the most persuasive messages, moving 77% of voters toward approval. The District’s history of fiscal restraint — having not asked voters for a new tax increase since 2010 — and its record of wildland fire preparedness in response to growing Wildland Urban Interface risks each moved 78% of voters toward approval, making them among the strongest messages tested.

Equipment cost inflation also resonated with voters: information that a new fire engine costing approximately $755,000 in 2020 now costs about $1.37 million, and must be replaced roughly every 18 months, moved 74% of voters toward approval. Support for firefighter physical and mental health, framed as both a staffing necessity and a moral responsibility to those who serve the community, moved 77% of voters toward approval. The potential consequences of failing to secure new revenue — including reduced daily firefighter staffing, wage cuts, and position eliminations — moved 76% of voters toward approval.

After being presented with all of the informational messages, voters were asked again to evaluate the 1.0% sales tax ballot measure. Support increased to 70% in favor and 22% opposed, with 8% undecided — a 4-point gain from the uninformed ballot test. The property tax measure similarly gained ground after the informational sequence, with support rising to 58% in favor and 33% opposed — a 4-point improvement from the initial test. The sales tax measure continued to outperform the property tax measure by a substantial margin following the information phase.

Open-ended responses revealed that the strongest drivers of yes votes were the belief that fire and emergency services are essential public safety functions, growing concern about wildfire risk, the need to maintain staffing and equipment, and strong personal trust in the District built through direct experience. The most common reasons for opposing a tax increase included the perception that taxes and the cost of living were already too high, a belief that the District should manage existing resources more efficiently, skepticism about the need for additional revenue given rising property values, and a lack of trust or desire for greater transparency about how funds would be used.