Voters in the Philomath Fire & Rescue District will decide in May whether to renew an operating levy.
The levy would replace an existing bond that will expire in 2027, which was used to purchase vehicles, medical equipment, and upgrades to the fire station.
The renewed levy would help fund daily operations of the district, including costs of fuel for emergency vehicles, medical supplies, and increased professional firefighting staff. The levy rate would be 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value.
Philomath Fire Chief Chancy Ferguson said the district has seen a 33% increase in service calls over the past five years.
“Along with that, that means a 33% increase in things like medical supplies, a 33% increase in the amount of fuel that we're using to respond to calls, and an increase in man hours,” said Ferguson. “We had to hire two additional firefighters in the last couple of years to help meet that call volume, which has driven our personnel costs to be about 86% of our operating budget currently.”
The fire and rescue department is a special district, meaning it’s not a part of Philomath city government. Funding comes from property taxes of those who reside within the district’s 62 square mile service area. In Oregon, property taxes cannot increase by more than 3% each year.
Philomath Mayor Christopher McMorran, who also serves on the Budget Committee for the Philomath Fire & Rescue District,said the limit on property tax increases means that costs climb faster than revenues.
“And anyone who's not been living under a rock knows that costs have gone up a lot more than 3% per year,” said McMorran.
The district used to be a completely volunteer force, but the addition of medical services has introduced more paid staff.
Ferguson said now that they have the necessary equipment, the district needs to be able to pay the people who provide firefighting and medical services.
“It takes people to respond to the emergencies, and people are always going to be the most important aspect of our district,” said Ferguson.
He said if the levy does not pass, the district would have to cut several staff members, and residents in Philomath and surrounding rural areas would experience longer call response times.
The Philomath Fire & Rescue District serves 10,000 residents, providing fire suppression, emergency medical, and life safety services.
