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Fire chief presses supervisors for levy as volunteers dip and costs climb
Summary
Fire Chief Tomer told the board volunteer ranks have shrunk and operating costs are rising, citing a $750,000 price for a fire truck and more than $5,000 to outfit a firefighter; many speakers supported establishing a fire district so the county can levy taxes later, while residents warned about higher property bills and asked for transparency about budget offsets.
At a public hearing on establishing a countywide fire district, Chief Tomer urged supervisors to create an enabling ordinance so the county can later set a levy to sustain fire operations, training and apparatus. Tomer described long-term volunteer decline and rising costs: "Currently, our apparatus, a simple fire truck, is almost $750,000. Outfitting a firefighter is over $5,000," he said, and asked the board to consider a volunteer discount and to exclude the full radio-system cost from a levy so the financial burden does not fall solely on fire and EMS.
Several residents and volunteers spoke in favor of taking action. Chief Shute and Pete Morrison, experienced EMS/fire volunteers, stressed the operational reality that call volumes and staffing needs have changed and that predictable funding is necessary to move from an ad-hoc fundraising model to sustained services. At the same time, residents including Abby Messer and Damian Roe urged sensitivity to households struggling with fixed incomes; Messer said, "If my taxes go up much more, I'm gonna lose the land and the home that I grew up in," and asked the board to consider alternative ways to spread the cost beyond property owners.
Supervisors and staff said they are compiling data, noted that neighboring counties use different funding mixes (some relying on regular rates rather than a separate levy), and emphasized that no levy amount will be set at this meeting. The board scheduled a work session to present options and numbers before any vote.
