How Woodburn, Jefferson fire districts rallied support from voters to pass levies

In the past few elections, some area fire departments had a rough time trying to get voters to pass operations levies.

In this election, the levies are passing overwhelmingly.

The operations levies put forth by the Woodburn and Jefferson fire districts are passing by huge margins in votes counted in the May 21 primary election.

“Yes, it’s a very good sign that people value the public safety,” Woodburn fire chief Joe Budge said.

Fire chiefs say that much of their success this time around comes from finding effective ways to communicate what the levies would do – and communicating the cuts that would be made if they were to fail.

Much of that communication is coming in old-school ways like making the fire departments visible at community gatherings and going door-to-door to raise awareness.

Fire districts change trend in operations levies failing

Local governments like fire districts receive money from permanent property tax rates that were set in 1997 by Measure 50, with property taxes only able to go up by 3% per year.

With growing populations and increasing costs for things like personnel, the only way for a fire district to meet the growing need is to ask voters to pass an operations levy.

Those levies provide additional funding so districts can maintain or expand the number of firefighters or paramedics, but they have to be approved by voters in the district.

In 2020, two of the five fire levies up for election in Marion County failed.

In 2023, seven fire districts passed levies and two failed. The two that failed, Aurora in May and Jefferson in November, have since passed.

Marion County fire departments appear to have had better success passing operations levies this time around as departments have worked at getting residents to know what impact the levies will have if they pass or fail.

Failure of levies often result in cuts of jobs for firefighters and paramedics and eliminating services.

“We’re being very intentional about having a consistent message,” Budge said.

How Jefferson learned from its previous loss

Jefferson fire chief Levi Eckhardt said that before the November 2023 election, the district held community meetings and tried to get its messaging out on Facebook.

But that attempt at the levy failed 54% to 45%.

It put the same five-year, 81 cents per $1,000 of assessed value levy back on the May ballot and it appears to be passing by a big margin as of Thursday returns.

Eckhardt credited the success to combining those efforts with reaching people face to face.

“Just getting out that there was going to be a levy and giving them factual information of this is what we’re trying to do,” said Eckhardt, who also credited a political action committee that was formed to support the levy.

Eckhardt said if Jefferson’s levy ultimately passes, the department will advertise to hire three additional firefighter/paramedics on July 1 with a goal of having them start on Oct. 1.

He said the ambulance that would be purchased with the levy could take from 12 months to three years to purchase.

Woodburn gets boost in voter support

When Woodburn passed its prior operations levy in 2019 – the one set to expire in June – it did so by a slim 48% to 46% margin.

Its five-year levy in the May election was at the same rate of 35 cents per $1,000 of assessed value.

As of the Thursday returns, it appears to be passing by a huge margin.

As part of the operations levy passed in 2019, the district has been able to guarantee to have one paramedic on duty at all times (ambulance service in Woodburn is handled by Woodburn Ambulance).

The bond also paid for life-saving equipment like AED devices.

“Our paramedics are doing outstanding work,” Budge said. “Of course we’ve got outstanding equipment.”

The Woodburn Fire District also passed a $12.7 million bond in May 2021 by a healthy 69% to 30%.

As part of that 2021 bond, Gervais will get a new fire station. That is scheduled to be opened by March 2025.

Bill Poehler covers Marion and Polk County for the Statesman Journal. Contact him at bpoehler@StatesmanJournal.com

This article originally appeared on Salem Statesman Journal: Woodburn, Jefferson fire districts rally voters to pass levies