Clear Creek County survey shows narrow support for public-safety sales tax; EMS and fire priorities rank highest

A Clear Creek County consultant told commissioners on June 16 that a countywide public-safety survey carried out in April produced narrow support for a proposed sales tax increase but showed stronger backing for EMS and fire spending than for additional sheriff’s patrols.

Bill Ray, the consultant presenting results, said the mail survey went to about 4,300 households and closed June 3 with just under 400 responses. "Taxpayer confidence is below 50%," Ray said, adding that low confidence can complicate asking voters to approve new taxes.

The survey used near-ballot language to test a public-safety sales tax and found 49% of respondents said they would vote yes and 46% would vote no. Ray flagged the intensity measures: 24% were “definitely yes” while 32% were “definitely no,” a gap he said would make passage difficult. Support varied by area: Evergreen-area ZIP codes showed well over 60% support, while Georgetown and Idaho Springs ZIP codes leaned toward opposition.

Respondents gave higher priority ratings to EMS items—adding and retaining staff, equipping a third ambulance and maintaining prompt response times—than to some sheriff’s office priorities. On discrete funding priorities, securing staffing and equipment for EMS scored in the mid-to-high 3s on a 1–5 scale; the sheriff’s office items averaged closer to the low 3s.

Ray told the board the property-tax alternative tested—roughly a 15-mill levy—was “overwhelmingly” unpopular. He also reported a large number of open-ended comments (about 200) in which concerns about taxes and the sheriff’s office recurred.

Commissioners and municipal officials in the meeting discussed the sample balance and likely-voter composition for a 2025 ballot. Ray cautioned that likely voters in an odd-year election tend to skew older: "If you were to do that in 2025, older voters would be a significant proportion of the electorate," he said, noting that voters 65 and older will make up a large share of likely voters.

Why it matters: survey findings will shape whether the county advances a ballot measure and how it frames public outreach. Officials said EMS and fire priorities could be more persuasive to voters than proposals framed mainly as additional law-enforcement funding.

Ray recommended follow-up polling that targets likely voters and balances ZIP-code and age quotas if the county proceeds toward a ballot question. He said telephone-based statistical sampling with quotas would better reveal how municipal and unincorporated voters would respond.

Ending: County staff and elected officials said they will use the survey data as one input in a larger community outreach and decision process before any formal ballot decision. No motion or vote was recorded at the June 16 meeting.