District 1 Fire Levy Passes

Thu., Feb. 5, 1998

By Pat Sciuchetti pats@spokesman.com

Voters’ overwhelming support of a $6.785 million Valley Fire District 1 levy on Tuesday surprised even fire district officials.

Eighty percent of voters supported the fire levy, which represents about half of the district’s 1999 maintenance and operations budget.

Spring levy votes normally achieve about 70 or 75 percent approval, assistant chief Karl Bold said. Fall levy votes are even harder to pass, usually winning 60 to 70 percent support.

Sixty percent approval is required for passage.

On Tuesday, 10,051 voters supported the levy. Just 2,585 opposed it.

“I like these numbers,” Bold said. “It means people are out there supporting us.”

The levy will cost homeowners $1.42 per $1,000 of assessed value, or $142 for a $100,000 home.

It includes funding for a $640,000 pumper/ladder truck to replace the district’s 26-year-old ladder truck, which has more than 100,000 miles on it. It will join a new $300,000 pumper truck the district will buy this year, using money from the 1998 levy voters passed in 1996. The district also plans to buy to purchase two new paramedic vehicles this year.

Half of the fire district’s funding comes from special levies. The remainder comes from regular property taxes.

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