In next month’s election, voters in Yachats are being asked to renew an existing levy that funds their firefighters.
The Yachats Rural Fire Protection District includes the city of Yachats and rural areas south to the Lincoln County border, and 8 miles north to Waldport, as well as east into the Yachats River Valley.
Ed Hallahan is on the district’s Board of Directors.
He said they have six paid firefighter paramedics, which is the minimum they need to operate.
“That means we have two people on duty all the time,” said Hallahan. “And it takes six and a little bit of overtime to be able to achieve that.”
He said the levy funds 25% of the budget. There’s not a city fire department, and Hallahan added, for people new to town, it may be unfamiliar.
“This is very, very different in that the city’s not providing anything and we are the sole provider within the area assigned to us,” said Hallahan.
Hallahan said Measure 21-219 renews a five-year local option tax levy at the same rate residents are currently paying: 61 cents per $1000 assessed value.
Last year, voters approved an increase to a different levy that supports the fire district.
