Something enormously wrong is about to happen to the approximately 17,000 persons in the Elk Creek Fire Protection District if we do not act to STOP “unification.”

Four Elk Creek Fire Board Members voted to join the Conifer Fire Department (formerly North Fork and Inter-Canyon Fire), a matter that CRIES OUT to be put to the 11,000 electors of the district via a mail-out paper ballot.

This 4-to-1 vote is all the more troubling because in the November 2023 election, Elk Creek Fire voters rejected a Consolidation issue where the end result was exactly the same as to be accomplished by “unification.”

Contrary to claims of others, the November 2023 election was not stolen by voter confusion or voters against the mill levy increase associated with consolidation. In fact, voters on another ballot issue approved a tax increase of 2.5 mills for Elk Creek Fire by a yes vote of 60% — a landslide. The voters clearly recognized a joining of the three districts was NOT in the best interest of Elk Creek Fire.

The Board’s action of using another statute called Exclusion and informally called “unification,” at the urging of the Fire Chief, can only be interpreted as an end run around the Will of The People. Ask yourselves, do you want DEMOCRACY to be DENIED in the May 6 election or in the appeal challenging “unification” now moving to the arena of the First Judicial District Court?

Director Chuck Newby, who voted not to bypass the voters, may be the singular Board member that has the BEST interests of Elk Creek Fire residents in mind. “Unification” is essentially about wealth redistribution, a good deal for residents of the former North Fork and Inter-Canyon Districts, but NOT for Elk Creek Fire residents who will see their mill levy tax dollars flow out to build up the other two districts with a decline in our services especially in the first five years if the merger happens.

The only concrete item (at least released to ECFPD voters) if “unification” happens is hiring six full-time Firefighters/Medics (working under a union contract) in rotating shifts of two at Inter-Canyon Station 1 (near the intersection of South Turkey Creek Road and Deer Creek Canyon Road). It is our belief that the Fire Chief, the Board, and the residents of the Inter-Canyon should have funded this themselves. But, if “unification” happens Inter-Canyon has found a way to have the residents of Elk Creek Fire to pay the lion’s share of these hires.

It is also emblematic of the twisted logic of the “unification” scheme that it requires a partial DEFUNDING of Elk Creek Fire (from 12.5 mills to 12.0 mills) which translates to a $258,000 decrease in money for tax year 2026 AND a partial DEFUNDING of Inter-Canyon Fire (from 14.446 mills to 12.0 mills) which translates to a $49,000 decrease in money for tax year 2026. It is bizarre to me that the two strongest Districts have to get weaker financially to unify with the weakest District. Additionally, North Fork Fire lowered its rate from 12.896 mills in 2024 to 12.0 mills in 2025 resulting in a defunding to the North Fork District of $20,000 in 2025 and $20,000 in 2026. We believe all this twisting was for the purpose of producing a decrease in taxes to attempt to overcome voter grumbling with overriding the 2023 defeat of consolidation.

Another thing about this “unification” event is the complete absence of any information released by the Fire Chiefs and their Boards about additional details of the “unification”. Voters in the May 6 th election who cast their ballot for pro-unification candidates are in effect giving a complete blank check to the new Conifer Fire Department.

A case in point, a major issue in the fall 2023 Consolidation campaign was the proposed demolishment of Inter-Canyon Station 3 on U.S. 285 just downhill from Windy Point and replacement with a major new fire station & HQ’s of the Conifer Fire Department (with a Morrison zip code. Cost $15 million to $20 million. Obviously, financed by a bond) with an ultimate cost — presumably double. NOT A SINGLE MENTION OF THIS PROJECT IN THIS BOARD CAMPAIGN. Wake up voters as to what you are getting yourself into.

As for the impact to US 285, there is no northbound acceleration lane out of the Station (left turn towards Denver). Construction of this lane would cost $5 million to $10 million (you know how fast CDOT moves). At the last Conifer Town Hall I was talking to the CDOT District Engineer from Sims Avenue to Pine Junction and he had never even heard of this project. He said, “I have to tell my boss about this.”

Who knows what the Conifer Fire Department is planning. Do we have to vote for the pro-unification candidates to find out?

A vote for Elk Creek unification candidates is a vote to partially DEFUND Elk Creek Fire and of course for the elimination of our mountain community’s symbol of pride, the selflessness of volunteers, Local Control, and Freedom in an institution that has thrived since 1948.

Neil Whitehead, III has been a resident of the Elk Creek Fire Protection District since 1998. He is a founding member of the Friends Of Elk Creek Fire, which campaigned for a successful 2.5-mill-levy increase in 2013. In 2019, he led the Friends of Elk Creek Fire in a successful campaign to increase Elk Creek’s mill levy by 5 mills.

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