The Wright City Fire Protection District is putting two major financial decisions before voters this April.The fire district has placed a 34-cent property tax increase and a $7 million bond issue on the spring election ballot, which voters within the district will be asked to approve.The fire district’s current property tax rate is $0.4127 per $100 of assessed valuation. The 34-cent increase would bring that tax rate up to $0.7527.For residential property, the "assessed valuation" is only 19-percent of the actual value of the home.So for a $100,000 home, the tax increase would represent an additional payment of $64.60 per year.The property tax increase would be used primarily to maintain the district’s staff of professional firefighters, Chief Ron MacKnight said.Six firefighters were hired in 2016 using federal grant money, but that funding might not be renewed when its term ends, he said.The additional revenue from a tax increase would allow the fire district to keep those firefighters on staff, which MacKnight said is important because the number of volunteers working with the district has been declining.The $7 million bond issue will be a separate item on the ballot. Issuing bonds is a way for a political district to borrow money.Approving the bond would authorize the district to levy another, separate property tax increase to pay off its debt. The tax would expire after 20 years when the bond is paid off.The estimated annual cost for taxpayers would be about 20-25 cents per $100 assessed valuation, MacKnight said.That would be an additional $38 to $47.50 per year for a $100,000 home.The bond issue would go toward building a new primary fire station, replacing aging firefighter air tanks and radio equipment, and replacing vehicles, MacKnight said.Here is the ballot language that will be presented to voters within the Wright City Fire Protection District when they go to the polls April 3:Proposition S“Shall the board of directors of the Wright City Fire Protection District be authorized to levy an additional tax of not more than thirty-four cents on the one hundred dollars assessed valuation to provide funds for the support of the district?“The district intends to use the proceeds for the purpose of providing quality emergency services to the community by keeping current staffing levels, maintaining all four fire stations with the district, and ensuring access to appropriate training for its staff.”Proposition C“Shall the Wright City Fire Protection District issue its general obligation bonds in the amount of seven million dollars ($7,000,000) for the purpose of acquiring, constructing, renovating, maintaining and equipping fire stations and related facilities and acquiring new and replacement firefighting equipment and vehicles to carry out the objectives and purposes of the district?“The authorization of the bonds will authorize the levy and collection of an annual tax in addition to the other taxes provided for by law on all taxable tangible property in the district sufficient to pay the principal of and interest on the bonds as they fall due and to retire the same within twenty years from the date thereof.”Correction: An earlier version of this story incorrectly calculated the tax increases, leading to higher results than the actual estimates. The Record apologizes for this error and any confusion caused as a result.Wright City Fire Protection District logo