GCFD 3 voters to be asked for change in levy

QUINCY — Voters in Grant County Fire District 3 will be asked to accept or reject a proposal to change the amount of money collected by the fire district in the general election Nov. 7.

The proposed “levy lid lift” would raise the amount levied in property taxes to $1.30 per $1,000 of assessed property value. Deputy Chief David Durfee said the current levy is about 65 cents. It’s an increase in an existing levy, he said, not a new one.

Because it’s a levy, the request requires 50% approval plus one vote to pass. If it is approved, a property owner with property assessed at $300,000 would pay $390 per year, compared with the $195 the landowner pays now.

Although the fire department provides fire service to residents of the city of Quincy, the city is not part of the fire district. City officials have a contract with the district to provide fire service.

Durfee said the request is prompted, in part, by growth in the Quincy Valley and a fire district that’s busier as a result.

“Last year, 2022, we ran 1,140 calls for service,” Durfee said. “Five years ago we were averaging about 750 calls. So in the last five years, we have seen a 35% increase in call volume. That’s just due to demand.”

The fire district’s responsibilities extend beyond fires. If it’s not strictly a law enforcement situation, GCFD 3 likely is getting summoned also, Durfee said.

“Those aren’t just fire calls. We’re an all-hazard fire department, so we run on fire calls, EMS calls, hazardous materials calls, special rescue calls. That’s what we mean by all hazards,” he said.

Fire District 3 is busier than it used to be, and – like everyone else – its expenses have increased. Durfee said expenses for fuel alone have increased about 45% in the last five years.

It also costs more to buy a piece of fire equipment.

“We bought a fire engine back in 2009, and it cost the district $200,000. And for approximately the same kind of fire engine 10 years later — that same kind of style — we just purchased one for $441,000,” Durfee said. “That hits us hard, because we have standards we’re trying to meet.”

The fire district’s equipment is about 25 years old on average, he said, which is five years older than the district’s target. The oldest piece of fire equipment dates to 1979.

The district is funded almost entirely through the levy, Durfee said; there is a separate levy for emergency medical service.

“It doesn’t cover everything, it just helps with the contract with Protection One.”

Protection One, a private company, provides ambulance service in the Quincy Valley.

District officials do have the ability under state law to approve a levy increase of up to 1% per year, but an increase is not required. The levy proposal would allow fire commissioners to increase that to a maximum of 6% per year if they choose.

“It’s not a mandatory 6%, it’s just giving the authorization to do that if we have to,” Durfee said.

Cheryl Schweizer may be reached via email at cschweizer@columbiabasinherald.com.