Proposed Levy
Measure #20-383
The South Lane County Fire & Rescue Board has referred a measure which would authorize a five-year local option levy for the May 19, 2026 ballot.
BACKGROUND
May 19, 2026, voters will have the opportunity to consider a proposed measure which would add critically needed response capacity for fire and emergency medical services. The District Board approved placing this measure on the ballot for voters to decide whether or not to increase the District’s current levy of $0.47 per $1,000 of assessed property value to $0.94 per $1,000 of assessed property value. This measure would authorize collection of property taxes for a five-year period beginning July 1, 2026 and ending June 30, 2031.
MEASURE #20-383
If passed, what would the levy fund?
If passed, the levy would fund up to six new full-time positions and one additional apprentice. This would bring daily staffing from 7 personnel to 10 personnel, allowing the District to staff for the increasing service demand.
If passed, how much would the measure cost?
If passed, the owner of a median-priced home in the district with an assessed value (not real market value) of $198,639 would pay an additional $7.78/month or 93.36/year with the increase of $0.47 per $1000 in assessed valuation. The tax would raise approximately $12,978,604 over a five-year period starting in 2026.
Frequently Asked Questions
• Special districts are not state government
Special districts are local agencies which deliver specific services to specific communities. Operating under state
laws, special districts are autonomous government entities that are accountable to the voters or landowners
they serve.
• Special districts are not county governments or cities
Counties and cities are general purpose governments.
• Special districts are not school districts
School districts exist to provide one service – public education.South Lane County Fire & Rescue is a Special District which is a fire protection district that exists in the state of Oregon and is an independent local government agency and not part of a local city or county government. The Districts primary funding sources are from the permanent taxing rate ($1.03/$1,000) and the levy ($0.47/$1,000). Some supplemental funding comes from ambulance revenue.
The South Lane County Fire & Rescue Board has referred a measure which would authorize a five-year local option levy for the May 19, 2026 ballot. If passed, the current levy of $0.47/$1,000 would increase to $0.94/$1,000 of assessed property value (not real market value).
If passed, the levy would fund critically needed service capacity by adding up to six new full-time positions and one additional apprentice.
If passed, the measure would authorize a five year property tax increase of $0.47/$1,000. Property owners would pay $0.94/$1,000 of assessed property value. A homeowner with a median home assessed at $198,639 would pay about $15.56 per month or $186.68 per year. The tax would continue for five years beginning July 1, 2026.
If the measure does not pass, additional staff will not be added, the District will begin to cut EMS response services, causing extended wait time for emergency response resources to arrive.
If the measure passes, the existing property tax levy of $0.47 per $1,000 of assessed property value would end early and be replaced by the new property tax levy of $0.94 per $1,000 of assessed property value.
Voters first passed a five-year local option levy of $0.47 per $1,000 of assessed property value in 2012. The levy was renewed in 2017 and again in November 2022, which is currently set to expire in 2027.
The District’s call volume has increased by 62% since 2014. In 2025, South Lane Fire had 5231 requests for service which is an average of 14.3 incidents per day. Of the requests for service, 80% of the time there were overlapping calls, meaning more than one request for service at the same time, which can leave no personnel immediately available to respond. Mutual aid from neighboring districts has become harder to secure. Additional staffing through the proposed levy would increase capacity, which is intended to help reduce wait times for emergency response.
According to NFPA (National Fire Protection Association) Standard 1710, staffing levels should be 4 personnel per engine company and 2 per ambulance. This would require 15 personnel per day for the District. The proposed property tax increase would bring daily staffing up to 10 personnel, which is below the NFPA standard but would increase staffing above current levels.
The Cottage Grove station is typically staffed with five personnel, while the Creswell station is staffed with two personnel. During minimum staffing periods, Cottage Grove has three personnel and Creswell has two personnel. The District operates two of its four fire stations (Cottage Grove and Creswell) 24 hours a day.
The majority of the District’s calls are medical emergencies, which account for approximately 84% of all calls. About 12% are fire-related, and 4% fall into other categories of emergency response. Roughly three-quarters of calls come from the Cottage Grove station area, with the remaining quarter originating from Creswell. The District now averages 14 calls per day and is projected to reach 15 calls daily by the end of 2026.
South Lane County Fire & Rescue serves about 33,000 residents. The fire response area is 132 sq. miles, and the ambulance service area is 800 sq. miles.
The Insurance Services Office (ISO) issues ratings that are used by most insurance companies to help determine premiums for fire coverage. South Lane County Fire & Rescue is rated as a Class 2 district in Cottage Grove, placing it among the highest-rated fire protection levels outside of major metropolitan areas. Creswell is currently rated as a Class 4. Improved staffing and resources help the District maintain these ratings, which can directly affect insurance costs for residents and businesses. Any cuts to service may negatively impact the ISO rating resulting in increased costs of insurance premiums.
Request for Quote
Quotes are due by 5:00 p.m. on June 30, 2024, September 30, 2024, and marked to the attention of John Wooten, Fire Chief, 233 E Harrison Ave, Cottage Grove, OR 97424. Submittals shall include a quote that identifies the cost breakdown for the various facets of the work requested. There will be no formal opening of the quotes received. Quotes will not be accepted after the stated submittal deadline date and time, and any late quotes will be rejected.
All questions related to this project should be directed to:
Justin Baird, Deputy Chief, at jbaird@southlanefire.org.