Citing inflation and the need to have more flexible spending options, Central Oregon Coast Fire and Rescue is asking voters to approve a new levy in the November election.
Erich Knudson is the spokesman for the Waldport-based agency. He told KLCC that currently, they have a serial levy of $. 25 per $1,000 of assessed value. COCFR wants that replaced with an operational levy at $. 35 cents per $1,000 that’ll last five years.
“’Cuz with the serial levy, you can only use it for equipment and supplies, you can’t use it for anything else," said Knudson. "And in today’s day and age and trying to get volunteers and so on, we need to be able to ensure that we have our staffing levels where they need to be to respond to calls. And in order to do that, we need to be able to use some of these funds from this operating levy to help pay for firefighters that are on duty 24-hours a day.”
Knudson said they haven’t asked voters for anything since 2012, when the current serial levy was approved. But with that levy expiring and inflation driving up costs, they need that support again.
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