The Warrenton Fire Protection District’s losing streak at the ballot continues as they once again failed to reach the four-sevenths majority needed to pass the Prop L bond issue.
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The Warrenton Fire Protection District’s losing streak at the ballot continues as they once again failed to reach the four-sevenths majority needed to pass the Prop L bond issue.
The $10-million bond issue, Prop L, would have increased the district’s current tax rate by 24 cents per $100 of assessed value. The funds would have been used to repair and replace aging equipment and renovate Station 1 to include living quarters, according to Fire Chief Anthony Hayeslip.
The proposed measure garnered 2,024 votes in support compared to 1,843 votes against. The ballot issue fell short of the required four-sevenths majority by 4.8%, according to unofficial election results.
“It’s just really frustrating,” said Hayeslip. “It’s something we need and I felt like we communicated that really well.”
That 24 cent increase would have brought the district’s total tax request to roughly 68 cents per $100 of assessed value.
Hayeslip said as the district’s costs have continued to increase without commensurate increases in revenue, the district has had to forgo replacing aging equipment as their budget is eaten up by other costs like payroll and insurance.
In fiscal year 2023, those two line items alone accounted for 66% of the district’s total expenses, with payroll and benefits taking up a whopping $1.012 million, or 59% of their total expenses.
The bond issue was one of two ballot measures the district has tried to pass recently. In the April 2 election they came to voters with both the bond issue and a tax increase. The tax increase failed by a wider margin, the bond issue came within one percent of passage.
Previously, Hayeslip had said that should they pass the bond measure they would then move forward with the tax increase as well at one of the following elections.
Now the future of that tax increase is also uncertain, without the passage of the bond issue he was unsure of how the district board would move forward. He did say however, that their next meeting will take place on Aug. 20 and he expects that there will be conversations about how they move forward.
In the meantime he said the fire district will continue to do what it has always done.
“We’ll wake up tomorrow and keep supporting our community,” said Hayeslip.
