A fire district that serves Cottage Grove and Creswell is asking voters to renew a five-year funding levy.
South Lane County Fire and Rescue says the local option tax is a straight-up renewal. That means tax rates wouldn’t change if voters approve it. If the levy fails, the district says it would need to cut service, because it would be forced to eliminate 12 firefighter and paramedic positions.
The district operates four fire stations, two of which are staffed round the clock. Crews respond to about 5,000 calls per year.
The district estimates the levy would raise an average of $1.3 million per year. That’s in addition to its base tax rate, which is not affected by this vote.
In 2017, the last time the South Lane Fire local option levy was on the ballot, it was approved with 78 percent of the vote.
