On Tuesday, voters in a quarter of Oregon’s 36 counties will go to the polls to decide whether to increase local property taxes and approve bonds that would support rural fire districts and emergency‑service agencies. The measures are part of more than 80 ballot items slated for the November 3 election across 27 counties.
Fire‑fighting funding on the ballot
Sixteen measures in nine counties – primarily in southern, eastern and central Oregon – seek approval for levies that would cover annual operating expenses for fire departments. One proposal would merge the Monitor and Mt. Angel Rural Fire Protection Districts and fund the combined entity together.
Property taxes are the main revenue source for most local fire agencies. However, Measures 5 and 50, passed in the 1990s, capped tax growth by tying assessments to a rate‑limited value rather than market worth. Additional tax‑suppressing tools such as urban renewal districts and enterprise zones have also diverted dollars that fire departments once relied on.
Umatilla County example
Umatilla County Fire District #1 is asking voters to approve a levy that would provide $13.9 million over five years. The district’s tax base has grown substantially in recent decades thanks to data‑center development, yet the fire agency receives only about $100,000 a year from enterprise‑zone revenues.
Umatilla County’s Rural Fire Protection District plans a similar measure for the May 2027 ballot. Board President Kyle Sipe said the district has been left out of community‑benefit agreements with data‑center developers, which typically include payments for schools, police and fire services.
“They’re approving four‑story apartments in our town now, and we don’t have a ladder truck that can reach the tops,” Sipe explained. “We can’t even afford an AED for one of our emergency vehicles.” The department currently operates on roughly $950,000 annually, with projected costs exceeding $1.1 million next year.
In addition to the proposed levy, the city currently contributes $89,000 a year from a strategic‑investment agreement with a data‑center company, $250,000 from enterprise‑zone revenue, and $85,000 in in‑kind support such as a part‑time administrative assistant.
Other local measures
Voters will also consider bonds for school infrastructure in nine districts, totaling more than $1 billion for new buildings, security upgrades and other improvements. In Harney County, officials are seeking $48.7 million to construct a new K‑8 school and upgrade the high school.
Several cities will decide on taxes or bans related to marijuana and psilocybin. Estacada and Sutherlin would ban marijuana sales, while Joseph, Redmond and Reedsport would ban psilocybin. Warrenton will vote on a 3 % sales tax on marijuana, the maximum allowed under state law.
Columbia and Coos counties are proposing higher transient‑lodging taxes for hotels, Airbnbs and short‑term rentals. The measures could raise up to $300,000 annually, with half of the revenue earmarked for public services and the other half for tourism promotion.
In the small town of Rufus, roughly 250 residents will vote on a 1‑cent‑per‑gallon gas tax to fund local road maintenance, following a statewide rejection of a 6‑cent gas‑tax increase earlier this year.
Why the measures matter
Oregon has endured a succession of severe wildfire seasons, including a record‑breaking 2.1 million acres burned this year. Rural fire districts, which rely heavily on local tax revenue, are struggling to keep pace with the growing demand for protection and the rising costs of equipment, staffing and training.
By allowing voters to approve targeted tax increases and bonds, communities hope to ensure that fire agencies have the resources needed to protect homes, farms and natural resources from future wildfire threats.
Original reporting: KTVZ (Central Oregon) — read the source article.
