Fairview leaders continue study of fire district after consultant poll shows limited near-term voter support

City Manager Nathan George and consultant Megan Mever briefed Fairview city councilors on Sept. 3 on options to change how fire services are provided to Fairview, including creation of a new local fire district, annexation into Clackamas Fire or continued contracts with the City of Gresham. The presentation included a public-opinion poll that showed initial support below the level generally required to pass a ballot measure and several financial scenarios for a potential district.

The poll and modeling matter because any shift in service model could change residents' property-tax bills, the city’s general fund and the location and number of future fire facilities. ``Response times are the number one most important thing to people when it comes to fire and emergency services,'' Megan Mever, partner at a local communications and political consulting firm, told the council.

Mever summarized two related pieces of analysis: a public-opinion survey of registered voters in the cities under study and a financial analysis prepared for the region. The survey asked baseline support for creating a permanent-tax-rate-funded fire district and then tested reactions after voters were shown specific information (for example, whether joining a district would save or cost them money). The financial analysis modeled multiple scenarios, including a baseline operations…