WALDPORT – Voters in the Central Coast Fire & Rescue District get to wait another year before deciding on renewing a property tax levy.
Last month, the district’s board voted to seek renewal Nov. 2 of an operating levy they thought was expiring next June. But in checking paperwork and wording with Lincoln County, Fire Chief Jamie Mason was told the 10-year levy was expiring in June 2023 – a year later than thought.
After alerting with board chair Buster Pankey, Mason filed paperwork with the county elections department to take it off the November ballot.
If it had stayed on the ballot and been approved by voters, it would have resulted in two levies being assessed for one year, Mason told the district board Thursday night.
“We would have been telling the public there’s no increase and there would be … and that’s not OK,” he said.
The current levy carries a rate of 25 cents per $1,000 assessed property value and is used to maintain or replace equipment. That costs the owner of property valued at $250,00 just over $62 a year and raises about $100,000 a year for the department.
In August, the board decided to make it a five-year levy and use the money to hire an additional firefighter and put aside $25,000 a year for equipment.
Mason said Thursday the board could wait until next year – it may also seek a bond in May to rebuild the current station in downtown Waldport – if and when to see a new levy.
