The Warrenton Fire Protection District’s second attempt at a tax initiative to help fund 24-hour coverage and other improvements was rejected by voters Tuesday.The margin was slightly closer than a similar proposal in 2014, but 1,313 voters, or 59 percent, opposed Proposition F. The number of voters who supported the measure was 898, or 41 percent.In Warren County, 1,311 voters opposed the tax and 894 were in favor. Of the six votes cast in Lincoln County, four supported the measure and two were against.The last time Proposition F was proposed it was defeated 2,475-1,285.The district’s last tax increase was in 2001. Over the period of time, the district’s population and call volume has exploded. Firefighters respond to over 600 emergency calls annually, a significant jump from 2001 when crews responded to 319 incidents.Officials said the additional funding was crucial to continue having paid firefighters work all shifts, as well as to allow the district upgrade equipment and provide for capital improvements.“It is extremely disappointing,” Fire Chief Mike Owenby said. “All we’re tying to do is provide a better service for the community. I don’t know what we’re going to do. I honestly don’t know where we will proceed from here. This will be something we have to sit back and look at and see where we go from here.”Late last year, the district hired 15 part-time firefighters and made a switch to having paid firefighters on all shifts. Previously, paid firefighters worked beginning 8 p.m. Sunday through 8 p.m. Friday and the weekends were covered by volunteers.The change has led to faster response times, but Owenby noted the change would only be temporary if the tax increase was not approved.The district encompasses 125 square miles, of which a small pocket lies in Lincoln County, with a staff of eight full-time employees consisting of six firefighters, one chief and an administrative assistant.The tax measure was met with opposition from a committee formed to fight the proposed increase.Committee members raised concerns about residents facing an additional tax and that it had no sunset provision.Had Proposition F passed, the district planned to hire three more firefighters to have paid staff on-call 24 hours a day, as well as an assistant chief-fire marshal to oversee fire safety programs and state and federal mandates. In addition, the proposed tax would have helped fund maintenance and upkeep of existing facilities and equipment, provide enhanced training and updated training facilities, and acquire updated rescue/firefighting equipment.For a resident within the fire district boundaries with a $100,000 home, the tax increase would cost an additional $2.38 per month; a $150,000 home would be $3.56; and a $200,000 home would be $4.75.“We either failed to educate folks properly, or it very well could be the economy,” Owenby said. Warrenton Fire Protection District logo