Montezuma County voters on Tuesday rejected a ballot measure that would have hiked area property taxes in order to increase the Cortez Fire Protection District’s budget by $1 million.

Ballot Issue 6A failed by a vote of 53% to 47%. Among other improvements, the budget increase would have helped offset a salary bump for CFPD employees and allowed the department to replace critical equipment.

CFPD Fire Chief Roy Wilkinson previously estimated the ballot measure would have resulted in citizens paying roughly $9 more in taxes per month.

“If you have a house fire and you’re trapped in the house, I don’t know if there’s anybody alive that’s not going to pay nine bucks for us to come in and help you or your family,” he previously told The Journal.

At the time, Wilkinson said that, should the ballot measure fail, the department would have to cut some activities, like CPR classes and visits to the area schools.

Separately, the town of Dolores on Tuesday approved a measure to deed the land the fire station is on to the local department.