Learn how Ballot Question 1 Benefits First Responders and the Henderson Community

A fire station without a women’s locker room, a double-bay fire station at the second-busiest fire department when the industry standard is four, and a fire department without enough bunks to house all of its firefighters.

It’s hard to fathom this is the reality for several Henderson Fire Department stations in Nevada’s second largest city. But in November, Henderson voters will have a chance to help change the state of Henderson Fire Department’s resources, and hopefully improve response times, by considering a property tax increase.

In April, the Henderson City Council authorized Ballot Question 1 to be placed on the General Election ballot on Nov. 5, 2024. If approved, the ballot measure would increase property tax for City of Henderson property owners by six cents ($0.06) per $100 of as assessed valuation. Bottomline? The tax would result in an estimated increase of $21.00 per year in property tax for an owner of a new home valued at $100,000. Of the total property tax levy proposed, one cent ($0.01) per $100 of assessed valuation will be used to repay $27.5 million of general obligation bonds to help build new fire facilities and modernize existing Henderson Fire Department facilities. The remaining five cents ($0.05) per $100 of assessed valuation will generate additional revenue to be used to support Henderson Fire Department’s ongoing operations, including emergency medical services, maintenance, personnel and equipment needs. Translation? The Henderson Fire Department should reduce response times, and theoretically save more lives.

The campaign behind Ballot Question 1 is called “Every Second Counts.” And it’s not just a catchy slogan as a way to get Henderson property owners to pay more—it’s backed up by stats. For an emergency medical response, the National Fire Protection Agency recommends the first unit arrive on scene within 6 minutes and 30 seconds or less, 90% of the time. Right now, the Henderson Fire Department achieves this benchmark 57.3% of the time. The American Heart Association recognizes the brain begins to die in 4–6 minutes without oxygen, and damage is irreversible after 10 minutes. And that is why every second counts.

In the case of a fire, national standards recommend a fire truck reaching the fire in 6 minutes and 24 seconds or less, 90% of the time. Henderson firefighters meet this benchmark 64.5% of the time. And for every 30 seconds a fire burns, it can double in size, meaning every second is a difference-maker.

This is how the ballot question will appear in November:

"Shall the City of Henderson be authorized to levy an additional property tax of $.06 per $100 of assessed valuation for a period of 30 years, commencing July 1, 2025, for the purpose of improving public safety by reducing the response times, including for emergency medical services, of the Henderson Fire Department? A YES vote authorizes up to $27,500,000 of general obligation bonds to be issued for the purpose of construction of new facilities and modernizing existing facilities and will generate additional revenue to be used to support the operations, maintenance, personnel and equipment needs of the Henderson Fire Department.

The total levy is estimated to result in an increase in property taxes of an average of $21 per year for the owner of a new $100,000 home. If approved, any property tax levied as authorized by this question would be exempted from the tax cap provisions established by the legislature in the 2005 session.”

For Henderson Fire Union President Dan Pentkowski, a yes to Ballot Question 1 means a safer Henderson.

“Decreased response times save lives. Cardiac is the most difficult call we get. We have a window up to 6 minutes to make a critical difference and when we can have the time, we excel. But currently, we are only meeting that 56% of the time and that’s an F,” Pentkowski puts it plainly.

The property tax increase will enable the Henderson Fire Department to hire more firefighters and improve fire department facilities, which makes responses faster and more efficient. Pentkowski says Henderson’s booming population and the increasing demand on his firefighters to keep residents safe supports the need for the modest property tax increase. The 9-1-1 call volumes have steadily been rising over the last several years. For example, from 2019 to 2023, incidents increased by more than 23%—going from 34,000 calls to more than 42,000. And over that same time period, the incident rate per 1,000 people increased from 105 incidents per 1,000 to 123 incidents per 1,000—a near 17% increase. Emergency medical service calls increased by 21%.

Despite this, the Henderson Fire Department is a multiple accredited, ISO Class 1, award-winning fire department, which has been a leader in the industry for years. Pentkowski fears how much longer the Henderson Fire Department can sustain its top-tier performance when the odds are stacked against his firefighters.

“About half of all our units are over capacity of how many calls they should be running a day,” says Pentkowksi. He described a recent call where an infant tragically lost her life to SIDS and several of the firefighters that responded were parents themselves. Having to rush off to the next call after responding to the death of a child is hard to shake. “The stress of being over capacity means our men and women don’t get to rest or recover and running beyond capacity takes a toll on our firefighters’ mental and physical wellness.”

How does Henderson measure up to other Nevada cities when it comes to property taxes? Pentkowski says there’s room for Henderson property owners to pay a little more. The $0.06 increase would raise property taxes in Henderson to $0.83—well below the City of Las Vegas at $1.06, North Las Vegas at $1.16 and Reno at $0.96. The national average property tax is about $0.99 cents.

Currently, the fire department does not have a dedicated revenue stream. Each year, the Henderson Fire Department must compete for budget money alongside the 16 other city departments, which Pentkowski says is inefficient and incompatible with where the firefighters’ focus should be: saving lives.

So who’s against the property tax? Generally, property tax increases are criticized for unfairly burdening only property owners for the benefit of an entire community whether they own a home or live in the city at all. A citizen group opposed to Ballot Question 1 had this to say:

“Those standing in opposition to Ballot Question Number 1 do not purport to be the authority on how best to improve public safety through reducing response times for emergency medical and fire response. No doubt the rapid growth in our City has generated numerous requirements for additional and improved services; however, the prospect of raising property taxes now represents an increased tax burden at a time when inflation and increasing prices continue to erode our purchasing power…Obviously, the financial impact of this increase falls directly on property owners. Moreover, this increase will be in effect for the next 30 years, with no guarantee against requests for additional property tax increases during the coming years …Those who oppose this property tax increase respectfully suggest that the City might find additional funds for improved response times for emergency services through a reallocation and re-prioritization of its existing budget.”

Pentkowski insists the City Council could not simply shuffle money around to solve the department’s chronic underfunding.

“Mayor and City Council have prioritized public safety. In fact, 58% of general budget is already spent on police and fire, so the ability to move money around doesn’t exist. A shell game simply won’t work here.”

Pentkowski says there is a benefit to property owners by passing Ballot Question 1 beyond saving lives, the reduction of property damage that would result from longer response times and preventing the spread of fire to neighboring buildings. For those with property insurance, quicker response times often result in reduced insurance premiums, helping to reduce home ownership costs.

Henderson voters get the ultimate say in November! Pentkowksi is hopeful Henderson residents say yes to Ballot Question 1.

“As we go out into the community, we have touched the very fabric of our city. The first answer we get is why we are asking for more, and once given an opportunity to explain, the residents are receptive. They understand paying a bit more means a better and safer Henderson.”