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MEASURE NO. 24-40
Aumsville Rural Fire Ballot Title: Referred to the People by the District Board General Obligation Bond Authorization Question: Shall the District be authorized to contract a general obligation bonded indebtedness in an amount not to exceed $1,500,000? If the bonds are approved, they will be payable from taxes on property or property ownership that are not subject to the limits of sections 11 and 11b, Article XI of the Oregon Constitution.Summary: A “yes” vote on this measure is a vote to increase taxes. This measure authorizes the District to issue general obligation bonds of not to exceed $1,500,000, to refund existing indebtedness; acquire property; expand and remodel the main fire station; acquire and equip fire fighting apparatus; and to pay all costs incidental thereto. Bonds would mature over a period of not to exceed 15 years. The total projected estimated cost of the bonds, principal and interest, assuming serial bonds with a final maturity in 15 years at an average estimated interest rate of 5.641%, would be $2,325,865. The revenue to be received by the District (the average annual tax levy), is estimated to be $155,060 annually. The estimated property tax rate, based on the foregoing assumption, would be $0.60 per $1000 of assessed value. Explanatory Statement: In 1980 you voted to approve a new tax base for us. The District has managed to improve the service to you and the community without asking you for additional money. Operating with a conservative spending approach, we have built a second station and acquired several fire trucks and equipment since that tax base increase. We have managed to provide the excellent service you have grown accustomed to, even through the recent tax cut measures, which have lowered our operating revenue. Due to the continued growth of the community and the economic impact of these measures on the fire service, the time has come for us to ask for your assistance. The fire station in Aumsville was built in 1975, when the District had four fire trucks. Since then we have increased that number to seven. This is too many to have in the current building. The growth of the community has also impacted our operation. The population has grown drastically in the last twenty years. It has increased from less than 2,000 to almost 6,500 today. This growth has resulted in an increase in the number of emergency calls we respond to. In 1980, this number was 126, and in 1999 we answered almost 480 calls for service. Over the years, the types of service provided by the Aumsville Rural Fire District have expanded from fire fighting only, to include emergency medical services and hazardous materials response, as well as others. The members of the Aumsville Rural Fire District have always striven to provide the best service possible. The laws governing the fire service have seen many changes in recent years. These changes have placed stricter rules and regulations in place, which have necessitated updating equipment sooner than was originally planned. The Board of Directors of the Aumsville Rural Fire District has always felt that, for their safety, your volunteer fire fighters should be provided with the best apparatus and equipment that the Fire District could afford. Over the years, the cost of equipment has increased faster than any increase in our revenue. This cost is averaging between 9% and 10% each year. Trying to work within our current budget means that it takes between five and seven years to pay for a fire engine. With that in mind, it would currently take between 30 and 40 years to upgrade the large trucks we have at this time. That is too long to expect those trucks to safely remain in service. In addition to those trucks, the District also has other smaller vehicles in use. Including these in the replacement plan would stretch the lifetime of a vehicle to well over 40 years. We currently have some trucks for which parts are extremely hard, if not impossible, to locate. If this measure passes it will allow us to replace three trucks, which have reached the end of their life expectancy, upgrade existing equipment, and enlarge and remodel the fire station in Aumsville, which we have drastically outgrown. Submitted by:
Pat Godfrey, Chair, Board of Directors No arguments in favor of or opposed to this measure were filed.
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