Hudson voters to decide on tax measure to fund local ambulance service

HUDSON, Colo. — The community of Hudson, a town of about 2,000 people in Weld County, does not have a dedicated ambulance provider. 

This has been the case since Aug. 7, after Platte Valley Ambulance Service’s contract with Hudson Fire Protection District (HFPD) ended. Voters will have a chance to address this gap. If approved in November’s election, ballot measure 6B will increase property taxes to fund a district-run ambulance service operating 24/7 out of HFPD fire stations.

“I think that price increase is worth it when it comes down to needing life-saving care,” said Hudson resident Taylor Fischer.

HFPD serves Hudson, Lochbuie and nearby rural areas. The department said  without a dedicated ambulance provider, response times possibly have jumped from six to eight minutes to 12–16 minutes or more, with some calls taking 30–45 minutes.

This is a concern for many residents, including Sarah Stadler, who has made multiple 911 calls this year for her 13-year-old daughter, who suffers from suspected mitochondrial disease, chronic pain and gastrointestinal issues.

“When we made those calls, we still had an ambulance provider in the community, so they showed up within five minutes… so, very quickly,” Stadler said. “I think the delay can impact the community greatly because somebody can die without an ambulance getting to them on time.”

If the measure passes, HFPD estimates it will cost about $3.1 million to get the ambulance service up and running — fully funded by residents’ taxes. This would cover setting up a district-run service, buying three ambulances and purchasing medical equipment, from basic first aid to advanced life support gear. Once running, it’s expected to cost about $1 million a year for staffing and maintenance, which includes paying for six to nine paramedics and/or three to six firefighter/EMTs.

“I try to tell people that it does suck that your taxes are going up, but it’s literally the price of a coffee per month,” Stadler said. “But we need this. We have a lot of elderly in the community as well that might not be able to drive themselves to the hospital if they’re having a medical emergency. You have to think about your fellow community members.”  

If the proposal passes, the district’s property taxes would go up by 3.0 mills annually, raising $3.1 million. This means residents would pay about $1.74 per month (or roughly $21 a year) for every $100,000 of a home’s value. According to the U.S. Census data, the median home value in Hudson is about $312,600, so the typical homeowner would pay about $65 per year under this new proposal. 

“Not having an ambulance is kind of stupid. Also, I’m not worried about the increase on property tax… it’s a very small amount,” said Debra Tygrett, who said her home is worth somewhere in the $300,000 range.

Paying property taxes helps keep the ambulance service available and ready, but it doesn’t pay for each individual ambulance trip. 

“Our goal is to ensure high-quality, timely EMS care remains available to all residents in our district,” HFPD commented on its Facebook post.  

HFPD’s goal is to bring down the current response time to three to five minutes. 

If the measure is approved, the Fire District Board says it will study whether federal law allows the district to offer lower-cost ambulance transport or create a membership program that reduces copays and deductibles, options not available through private ambulance services.