Voters in the Elk Creek Fire Protection District narrowly defeated a proposal on the Nov 8, 2023 election ballot that would have consolidated ECFPD with two other small and underfunded Front Range fire districts.  Consolidation would have seriously degraded the high level of service that ECFPD residents currently enjoy.  The TABOR Committee, particularly attorney Paul Cohen, contributed to the narrow defeat by responding to a request from opponents of consolidation for help in discouraging the ECFPD from suppressing our TABOR statements against consolidation.

In past elections, the union controlled ECFPD Board of Directors has illegally edited opposition TABOR statements into irrelevancy.  In 2023, our opposition campaign put ECFPD on notice that our attorneys participated in writing our TABOR statements, and that was enough to protect our TABOR statements from any editing occurring.  It also helped that one member of the ECFPD Board of Directors, Chuck Newby, was the very energetic leader of the opposition campaign.  Board meetings prior to the vote were exceptionally bitter and loud in their denunciation of Director Newby, and the Board has since censured Mr. Newby for his role in channeling the will of the voters.  We are undeterred and are anticipating that the same consolidation question will likely be on the ballot again in 2024.  We look forward to continued support from the TABOR Committee.

Our sincerest thanks to the TABOR Committee.  It is my hope that the TABOR Committee will offer its legal support in the future to other groups, as well, that are opposing government expansion and higher taxes.  I have been writing TABOR statements in Park County for thirty years and can attest to their value in forming public opinion and in defeating the constant drive for bigger government.  Many TABOR tax information booklets, in other districts, are mailed with only supporting statements and no opposing statements.

This is a huge missed opportunity to use the constitutional freedom of expression that patriots have.  Anything the TABOR Committee can do to encourage tax opponents to use their voices is sorely needed.  The important battles since Democrats took control of State government have been at the local level—and TABOR statements are a powerful tool conservatives need to use.  The price of liberty is eternal vigilance.

Gary Fisk
Pine, Park County, Colorado