Bend area to vote in May on fire levy renewal

The Bend City Council and the Deschutes Rural Fire Protection District #2 Board of Directors have approved a resolution proposed by the Bend Fire Department to approve placing a local option levy renewal on the Bend area’s May 2018 ballot.

The resolutions ask voters to consider renewing the existing operating levy for five years beginning in 2019. The measure, if approved, would be at a rate of 20 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. That would not change the current tax rate , first approved by voters in 2014.

Fire officials said t he data shows that since the approval of the 2014 levy, the Bend Fire Department has lowered response times, placed appropriate resources on each call, and helped improve survivability rates.

The fire district board voted unanimously in favor of the levy resolution last week, at their monthly meeting.

The DCRFPD#2 encompasses the area directly outside of Bend’s city limits and stretches from Deschutes River Woods to the northwest side of Tumalo. The district contracts with the city fire department for fire protection and emergency medical services.

The levy ensures six ambulances for the nearly 1,500-square-mile area in Deschutes County.

The Bend City Council approved a similar resolution, also unanimously, Wednesday night.