WINFIELD – Nearly four months after the defeat of a similar measure by eight votes, the Winfield-Foley Fire Protection District is again asking voters next week to approve Proposition Fire on the Aug. 5 ballot.

The property tax increase of $.37 per $100 assessed valuation would provide funds to pay the 30-member staff $25 per call.

Currently, the department operates four fire houses on a $330,000 budget, with funds generated from a levy of $.43.

“We are unable to sustain budgetarily operations and providing the same level of service we currently provide,” said Winfield-Foley Fire Protection District Chief Arron Lee. “With that being said, we’re going through a 6% increase in assessed valuation. We’re only allowed to collect 1.5% of that growth. So as the assessed valuations go up, new housing going in, more people showing up to our district to live and residing here, that creates more of a call volume increase for us. And the problem is when the call volumes increase, every time we put a truck on the road that costs us money, somewhere in the neighborhood of about $500 per run if you average out our budget.”

Proposition Fire was last on the ballot April 8 and failed to pass by eight votes. If passed this time, the measure would allow current volunteer firefighters to be paid $25 per call.

In addition to having paid staff, passage of Proposition Fire would allow growth of the live-in program and staffing of the fire protection district would extend to weekdays.

Part of the reason for putting the measure on the ballot again so soon is because of the close vote, the sustainability factor, and the “time-sensitive” ISO in-depth evaluation that is set to occur in the fall.

“If we can pass this measure before that evaluation, we can actually receive a credit for staffing, which is going to help get our ISO rating down to a lower number, which is good,” Lee said. “10 being the worst rating, one being the best. We’re currently at a six. There’s no other volunteer organization in our region that is a six. We’ve worked very hard for the taxpayer to get it down that low, but we feel that we can get it down another point.”

Homeowner’s insurance rates are partially based on that ISO rating, Lee said, and a better rating could lead to lower premiums.

According to Lee, the average homeowner in the Winfield-Foley Fire Protection District currently is paying $180 per year in taxes. If Proposition Fire passes on Aug. 5, the increase to the average homeowner would nearly double to $350. Lee says with the four firehouses, the district covers a 95-square mile area in the county, which is experiencing some of the largest population growth in Missouri.

The Winfield-Foley Fire Protection District currently has 30 firefighters. If the community passes the measure, 15 more will be added to keep up with growth. Since 2016, there has been a 100% increase in call volume per Lee and the fire district is on track for 1,100 calls this year which would be an increase by 250 calls from last year.

Most calls, Lee says are fire structure, motor vehicle accident, snd outside fires among others while 49% of them are more severe medical.

“If we can retain these firefighters by paying them $25 per call and help keep them around, when they are away from their family late at night, all hours of the day and night, they’re at least drawing some money while they’re gone to help compensate for their time away,” Lee said. “Fuel expense, driving back and forth to the firehouse, between trainings and running calls, can be very

expensive for them. They’re seeing the inflation just like everybody else is and they’re not getting paid for it.”

Proposition Fire is the only ballot issue for the Aug. 5 special election. Voters can still vote at the at the Lincoln County Courthouse in room 103 from 7 a.m.-5 p.m. Monday-Friday. Absentee voting ends at 5 p.m. on Monday, Aug. 4.