Castle Rock voters may be asked to increase sales tax for first time in over 10 years - Castle Rock News Press (2024)

Castle Rock hasn’t raised its sales tax since 2011, but that could change. The town is considering going to voters with an increase this November to help fund police and fire services.

Town staff said a 0.2% sales tax increase would raise an estimated $3.75 million per year to fund 22 new police employees and 18 additional fire department staff, as well as pay for road maintenance, recreational amenities and arts and culture grants.

Town council members seemed reluctantly in favor of putting the question on the ballot this fall, noting they generally oppose tax increases, but they agree on the need to expand services to meet demands as the town grows.

“I don’t want to ask anyone for taxes, but I also think we realize we want all of our services to do better and better, not watch them slide off,” Mayor Jason Gray said. “This is the most palatable way to move forward.”

The council hasn’t voted on any proposal yet.

Castle Rock’s municipal services, including public safety, road maintenance and parks and recreation, are largely funded through sales tax, which has been slowing in recent years, Town Manager David Corliss said.

With the town’s rising population, both the police and fire departments are seeing an increase in calls for service and in response times. However, the town’s current tax revenue can’t fund additional hires.

“As we see the dominance of online sales continue to increase, … I think we’re going to see sales tax not be as strong a horse for our town revenues going into the future,” Corliss said, noting sales tax revenue is still increasing, just less than in previous years.

Between 2012 and 2023, the Castle Rock Fire Department saw a 61% increase in calls. The demand has led to an average of 16 minutes per day where all three of the town’s ambulances are responding to calls.

Fire Chief Norris Croom said ambulance depletion is one of the department’s biggest challenges that could be addressed through a sales tax increase. It would allow the department to add a fourth ambulance and staff.

“We’re seeing an increase in (the amount of time) the ambulances aren’t available because they’re on calls,” Croom said.

When Castle Rock’s ambulances aren’t available, calls for service go to surrounding agencies, like South Metro Fire or Franktown Fire.

Castle Rock Police Department had calls for service rise from around 11,900 in 2019 to more than 14,000 in 2023.

Police staffing levels are at 1.1 per every 1,000 residents, which is a level Chief Jack Cauley would like to at least maintain, if not increase. Money raised by the proposed tax increase would go to adding school resource officers, patrol officers and dispatchers, among others, Cauley said.

“We do a lot with a very lean department,” Cauley said. “If we want to continue the level of service and level of safety and security and protecting our kids, seniors and the community, we need this increase.”

In addition to police and fire, the town is planning to use around $700,000 on road maintenance, $186,000 for recreation and $200,000 for grants to arts and culture programs. Corliss said the grant funding would be a way to address recent requests for more arts and culture funding.

A group of residents advocated earlier this year for the town to join the Scientific and Cultural Facilities District, a special district that collects a .1% sales tax from member entities and funds museums, arts, culture and science programs within the metro area.

“We see this as putting more local control and local emphasis on those funds,” Corliss said.

Polling, conducted by Magellen Strategies in April and May, found 57% of respondents who were educated about the sales tax increase proposal would vote for it and 53% of respondents who weren’t educated about the proposal still supported a modest tax increase for police and fire.

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