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Commission hears update on regional fire work group, outreach and tax messaging
Summary
City leaders described an ongoing regional fire services work group that will recommend station locations and service models by year-end; officials emphasized outreach and clear messaging about assessed value, tax impacts and response-time goals as levy and district decisions approach.
The Chair updated the commission on regional fire discussions and outreach plans. He said a work group will diagram station locations, station composition and service area with an aim to deliver a recommendation by the end of the calendar year. “That work group has made, I'll call it, a recommendation...by the end of the calendar year,” the Chair said, noting the group may produce split recommendations and that Gresham's levy expires in May 2029.
Commissioners and staff discussed the public information challenge: residents often conflate market value with taxable assessed value and misunderstand how a new district levy would change city collections. The Chair said staff are working with a PR firm and plan short video clips and targeted messaging to explain who pays what and why response times and station locations affect service levels. He also raised concerns about a draft county ambulance plan that would set a 15-minute response time for the three cities and tied CPR training and Night Out outreach to community preparedness.
