SOUTH LANE – South Lane County residents can expect to see Ballot Measure #20-383 on the May ballot again, after the same proposed fire levy increase was shot down by voters last November. To inform voters of the impact of a yes vote on the measure, firefighters from South Lane County Fire and Rescue (SLCFR) are holding meet-and-greets and answering questions ahead of the May election.
SLCFR provides fire protection services spanning 132 square miles and emergency medical service coverage over 812 square miles, including Cottage Grove, Creswell, and rural South Lane County. The District serves over 33,000 residents and responds to more than 5,500 calls per year.
Creswell resident Debbie Yee was recently one of those calls. During a Creswell City Council meeting on March 9, Yee talked during the public comment period about the shortage of firefighters within the District and a personal encounter with EMS. When her mother had fallen after church, and she was unable to help, Yee said she had to call the non-emergency line.
“They came right away,” Yee said. “Only because they actually had a captain and another fireman here on duty. Anytime, pretty much night or day, they only have two firefighters here, and they also cover for EMT work. So, if they go out for EMT work for a homeless person…they can’t help your father, your mother, your sister, or your brother, or a car accident on I-5, because they can’t leave once they get called out,” she said.
Yee admitted that, for the first time in all her voting years, she voted no on a levy increase in November, citing reasons such as Covid-19 and being fed up with tax increases.
“I got tired of it,” she said. “It was like ‘no more, make do with what you have.’ The problem is, because of that, we are now in a spiral of not being able to hire more people and not being able to compete with other fire Districts. I think we’re in dire straits.”
She drew the council’s attention to the levy being on the May ballot and noted that Station 204 on Camas Swale Road is unmanned, the only ladder the District has is at Station 201 in Cottage Grove, and stations lack modern equipment.
The proposed levy
Currently, SLCFR has one of the lowest permanent tax rates in the entire state, according to the District’s levy brochure. In 2012, voters passed a five-year local option levy for the first time for 47 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, and it was renewed twice for the same amount in 2017 and 2022. The current levy is set to expire in 2027.
The measure on the ballot for South Lane residents will give voters the chance to consider replacing the District’s current levy with a new rate of 94 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value – an increase of 47 cents. For homeowners of median-priced homes within the district, valued at $198,639, this means they would pay $15.56 per month, or about $180 per year.
“Our funds do not come from the city, county or the state. It only comes from the property taxes from the citizens within our fire district,” Stephen Beach, SLCFR captain and International Association of Firefighters (IAFF) Local 851 representative, said.
Beach said the levy will be used solely to increase current staffing levels.
“Current staffing regularly leaves no firefighters available when multiple emergencies occur at the same time,” reads the District’s levy brochure. “This measure will help ensure reliable staffing and faster emergency response for our community.”
The National Fire Protection Association recommends 15 firefighters per shift as the minimum, depending on the service area. The staffing at SLCFR is five to seven firefighters per shift. If passed, this measure will add seven firefighters, or three shifts daily.
“Increasing the levy to fund additional fire department personnel strengthens emergency response times, ensuring help arrives faster when seconds matter,” Beach said. “More staffing also improves firefighter safety, reduces burnout, and allows better coverage for medical calls, fires, and disasters. Ultimately, it creates a more resilient community by protecting lives, property, and local resources more effectively.”
Property taxes will not increase if the measure fails, and neither will District resources. Without the new level of funding, the District will have to continue reducing its services to communities.
“I would encourage everyone to look into it,” Yee said. “It wasn’t presented as well as it could have been last time, and yes, it’s going to mean more money. Do I want to pay it? No. But I don’t want my mom or your mom or anyone else to suffer in a life-threatening instance.”
Beach said a video livestream will be held on South Lane Fire’s Facebook page on April 2 at 7 p.m., during which members will answer questions. On April 14, the Local 851 International Association of Fire Fighters (IAFF) will have a meet-and-greet with firefighters and Jake Pelroy, a candidate for East Lane County commissioner, at 635 Holbrook Lane, in Creswell, at 6:30 p.m.
How it has worked
Last November, Springfield had a similar measure on the ballot for their voters with Ballot Measure #20-371, which proposed a five-year levy of 53 cents per $1,000 assessed value beginning in July 2026 – an increase of 15 cents. The increased rate reflected inflation and the rising cost of maintaining essential services.
The results of their ballot showed that 6,297 people voted in favor of the increased levy, and 2,990 voted against it. According to Elyse Ditzel, Springfield public information officer, the levy increase will help maintain the current level of service by funding one of Springfield’s five fire engine crews.
Without the levy, the department would have faced staffing reductions, affecting coverage and response times across the community. She had previously mentioned that the increased levy was designed to restore its original intent of fully funding the fifth engine crew without additional reliance on the City’s General Fund.
