Town of Castle Rock 2024 Public Safety Ballot Measure Survey

Magellan Strategies is pleased to present the topline results of a survey of 1,092 residents of the Town of Castle Rock, Colorado. The interviews were conducted from April 30th to May 12th, 2024.

The survey opened with broad assessments of the Town before moving into detailed testing of a proposed sales and use tax increase to fund the police and fire departments.

Overall sentiment toward town governance was positive. A strong 74% approved of the job the Town was doing managing its services, programs, and initiatives, against just 14% who disapproved. A solid 63% agreed that the Town was fiscally responsible and spent taxpayer money wisely, while 20% disagreed. In open-ended comments, residents who approved cited public safety and low crime, quality local amenities, and responsible management of growth, while those who disapproved pointed to rapid growth, traffic and infrastructure strain, and gaps in essential services. When asked to name the top problems facing the Town, residents most often raised growth management, traffic and infrastructure, public safety, and water conservation.

Both public safety agencies earned high marks. A robust 82% approved of the Castle Rock Police Department, including 56% who strongly approved, and an even higher 88% approved of Castle Rock Fire and Rescue, with 69% strongly approving. Residents also sensed rising demand: 61% believed the need for police services had increased over the prior five years, and 68% said the same about fire and rescue services.

On the core funding question, residents narrowly favored action. A modest sales tax increase to provide additional funding for the two departments drew 53% support against 39% opposition. When the actual ballot language was first tested without supporting information, the measure held the same 53% who would vote yes and 39% who would vote no, with 8% undecided.

A series of informational statements then tested how specific facts moved opinion, and nearly all of them lifted support well above the baseline. Explaining that the Town could not fund police and fire needs at current levels raised the more-likely-to-approve share to 62%. Detailing the 22 new police hires, the rise in calls for service and response times, and Castle Rock’s low ratio of officers per resident each pushed approval to 65%, as did the school resource officer rationale.

The fire and rescue arguments proved the most persuasive. Describing the 18 new fire hires moved 70% toward approval, and explaining that a fourth ambulance was needed because all three current units were simultaneously on calls for an average of sixteen minutes a day drew the single strongest response at 74%. The rising fire call volume since 2012 moved 71% toward yes, while the broader growth-in-housing-units argument reached 66% and the warning about maintaining current excellence reached 67%.

Not every message landed equally. The provision dedicating funds to local arts and culture organizations was the weakest, with 46% more likely to approve and a nearly equal 43% more likely to reject. Reminders that the sales tax rate had not changed since 2011 moved 57% toward approval, and the point that most shoppers came from out of town moved 62% toward yes. After hearing all the information, support on the informed ballot test rose to 57% in favor and 33% opposed, a meaningful gain over the uninformed test. Among those who would still vote no, 80% said a 15-year sunset provision would not change their vote, and among the undecided, most remained undecided while a slight edge leaned toward yes.

In their reasons, yes-leaning residents emphasized public safety needs tied to growth, the importance of growth management, responsible use of tax dollars, and preserving community quality of life. No-leaning residents cited concerns about financial transparency and accountability, frustration with rapid and poorly managed growth, a desire for more information and alternatives, opposition to bundling essential services with arts spending, and general tax fatigue.