Keizer Fire District
Ballot Title:
Keizer Fire District Five-Year Operations And Equipment Local Option Tax
Question:
Summary: A “yes” vote on this measure is a vote to increase taxes. This levy will allow the District to meet the increasing costs of operations. Additional funds will allow the District to maintain buildings. The levy will allow the purchase of fire and related equipment, including communications equipment. The first year the levy will be made is fiscal year 2001-2002. The funds raised per year would be $245,494 in 2001-2002, $252,858 in 2002-2003, $260,444 in 2003-2004, $268,257 in 2004-2005 and $276,305 in 2005-2006.
Explanatory Statement:
The elected Board of Directors for Keizer Fire District decided by unanimous vote on 8/15/00 to place a funding measure on the November ballot. Approval of this measure may cause property taxes to increase more than three per cent. The Board is asking District residents to consider a five-year local option levy. Also, approval of this measure would represent an increase of $0.23 per $1,000 of assessed property valuation. This measure would allow the Fire District to fund District operations for the next five years at current service levels.
The District’s permanent tax rate is $1.3526 per $1,000 of assessed property valuation. The cost for General Obligation Bonds approved in 1995 to construct the new fire station is $0.19 per $1,000. This will end in 2016. Approval of this local option levy would represent an additional $0.23 per thousand or $23.00 per year for a $100,000 home. The estimated tax cost for this measure is an ESTIMATE ONLY based on the best information available from the county assessor at the time of the estimate.
Keizer Fire District is not a part of the city or county but is a “special service district” a unit of government equal to a city or county. It was created by a vote of the people in 1948. It is governed by an elected Board of Directors who are residents of the District. As elected representatives of District residents, their responsibility is to represent the interests of District residents by making policy decisions that ensure the highest level of fire and life safety services provided in the most cost effective manner.
The Board of Directors is requesting funding for each of five years for the following:
1. $20,000 toward replacement of a 24-year-old engine.
2. $15,500 for fire station maintenance.
3. $63,000 to update and replace fire equipment.
4. $146,000 for operating expenses.
To fund operations the District is depleting reserve funds set aside for building maintenance and equipment purchases. These funds are savings accounts established over the years to cover these costs. The District’s operating levy was established in 1990 and the District’s operating costs have since increased. Increases in District expenses will exceed the increase in revenues.
The District has experienced loss of revenues in two areas:
1. Decreased revenues from property tax valuations resulting from the passage of Measures 47 and 50 represent a loss of $380,883 this year in revenues to the Fire District.
2. Any revenues from increased property tax valuation (including new construction) within the City of Keizer’s Urban Renewal District go the Urban Renewal District. This resulted in a loss of $234,034 in revenue to the District.
The Fire District is served by 43 volunteer firefighters and 18 paid personnel. It covers approximately 10 square miles.
Submitted by:
R. Mark Miedema, President, Board of Directors
Keizer Rural Fire Protection District
No arguments in favor of or opposed to this measure were filed.
MEASURE NO. 24-39
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