Why Has the Measure Been Referred to the Voters?

In May 2025, voters will have the opportunity to consider the Measure, which would authorize an increase in property taxes and provide additional funding to address the rising costs of operations. Fire District 4’s tax levy was initially passed in 2017 at $0.99 per $1,000 of assessed property value and renewed at the same rate in 2020. However, since 2017, the costs of goods and services have increased significantly due to inflation and other economic factors.
According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, inflation has risen by 25.25% between 2017 and 2024. This means that the cost of maintaining the same level of services has grown substantially over the past seven years. At the same time, Oregon Measure 50 limits the increase of property assessed values to 3% annually, resulting in only a 22.99% total compounded increase from 2017 to 2024.
Because property value growth has not kept pace with inflation, the District is facing a funding gap. If passed, the Measure would authorize an increase in the tax levy, raising it from $0.99 to $1.10 per $1,000 of assessed property value. The Measure would increase the District’s total tax rate from $3.008 to $3.118 per $1000 of assessed property value, representing a 3.66% overall increase. The Measure would help fund rising operational costs and delivery of services to the community.
The Fire District uses levy funds to support emergency operations, maintain staffing, and replace aging equipment. If the Measure passes, the new levy would:
•    Maintain current service levels to deliver reliable fire and emergency medical response.
•    Retain current staffing levels, including firefighter/EMT and firefighter/paramedic positions.
•    Fund equipment replacements and apparatus maintenance.
•    Build reserves for future fire apparatus purchases for long-term sustainability.