CdA Mulls Public Safety Bond

A ladder truck is reflected onto windows of buildings as firefighter Nate Hyder rides to a call Wednesday. The city of Coeur d’Alene has a 10-year bond proposal on the ballot Tuesday to replace its ladder truck, older firetrucks and other equipment. (SR photo: Kathy Plonka)

A $1.4 million ladder truck and three fire engines costing almost $600,000 apiece are the big-ticket items in a proposed public safety bond measure going before Coeur d’Alene voters next week. The city is asking for $6 million over 10 years, mainly to buy fire vehicles but also for some police needs. A similar tax measure approved in 2005 expires this year, and the city says property owners will see their taxes go down a bit even if the new bonds are approved. The proposal, on the ballot Tuesday, needs approval from two-thirds of the votes cast in order to pass. The money would be used to replace fire vehicles that are more than 15 years old, including the city’s ladder truck at fire station 1 downtown and engines at stations 2 and 3. The third new fire engine would go in a new station planned for the fast-growing west side of Coeur d’Alene, where emergency response times are the longest, Fire Chief Kenny Gabriel said/ Scott Maben , SR. More here.

Question: Do you plan to vote for the $6M public safety bond?