The Ridgway Fire District is gearing up to hire new staff, budgeting $350,000 toward this aim in 2023, following the landslide victory of its ballot question more than doubling mill levy funding last month.

More than 72% of voters in the district supported the measure, which raised the total mill levy to 7.591 and could net up to $400,000 in extra revenue per year. It’s the first tax increase for the district since 2000.

While proponents of the measure advocated for the department to spend the m...