PAGE A4, KEIZERTIMES, MAY 1, 2020
KeizerCommunity
KEIZERTIMES.COM
MCFD to fi eld levy
questions online
BY MATT RAWLINGS
Of the Keizertimes
Marion County Fire Dis-
trict #1 will be hosting a
pair of virtual meetings to
answer questions about their
new operating levy renewal,
which is on the May 19 pri-
mary election ballot.
Measure 24-441 would
renew and increase the Fire
District’s local operating levy
(or local option levy), which
accounts for almost 30 per-
cent of its general property
tax revenue.
The virtual meetings will
take place on Monday, May 4
and Tuesday, May 12 from 6
p.m. to 7 p.m. via Facebook
Live on the district’s Face-
book page. During the vir-
tual meeting, MCFD#1 Fire
Chief Kyle McMann will
give a brief presentation and
respond to any questions that
are asked over Facebook Live
and those that are sent via
email before the meeting.
In order to deal with an
ever-increasing call-volume,
McMann believes that it’s vi-
tal that the levy gets passed
— it will allow the district
to hire two additional fi re-
fi ghters/paramedics. Along
with an increase in emer-
gency calls, there has been a
sharp decrease of volunteer
fi refi ghters serving in Marion
County.
“The local option levy is
crucial to maintain the ser-
vices the district provides
and addresses the increasing
call volumes and response
times within the 80 square
miles of the district, which
includes 55 percent of calls
overlapping, meaning there
are multiple calls going on
at the same time,” McMann
said. “The local option levy
accounts for almost 30 per-
cent of its general property
tax revenue, all a signifi cant
portion of the operating rev-
enue of the district. Without
the levy, services would be
reduced.”
The operating levy in-
crease is proposed at 28
cents per $1,000 of assessed
property value or $4.67 per
month ($56 per year) for the
owner of a home assessed at
$200,000.
Over the last year,
MCFD#1 has made a con-
certed effort to communicate
the need to hire more emer-
gency personnel and replace
aging apparatus. That need
has increased exponentially
due to the COVID-19 pan-
demic.
Personnel costs have in-
creased $35,000 per month
to accommodate additional
overtime pay and temporary
hires. Costs also have gone
up signifi cantly for personal
protective equipment, emer-
gency personnel, disinfectant,
hand sanitizers and decon-
tamination products because
of the high demand.
“COVID-19 has increased
the need as we have increased
staffi ng temporarily to meet
the demand of services as
well as keep responders out-
fi tted with the necessary per-
sonal protective equipment
(PPE) that is needed,” Mc-
Mann said. “Most of the PPE
has seen dramatic increases in
costs due to limited availabil-
ity and demand. The district
must be prepared to meet the
demands of this outbreak of
COVID-19 as well as future
ones that will come.”
For those unable to watch
the meeting, McMann is
available to answer questions
at 503-588-6535 or kylem@
mcfd1.com. For more infor-
mation on the operating levy
request, visit www.mcfd1.
com.
Refi lled
Tyson Cox, club
manager of Keizer’s
Physique Fitness,
delivers a refi lled
bottle of sanitizer
to Annie Owen of
Keizer. Physique
Fitness is providing
semi-regular refi lls
of sanitizing solu-
tion, the same brand
as it uses inside the
clubs, at its Salem
area locations.
Follow the gym on
Facebook to fi nd
out about upcoming
dates.
KEIZERTIMES/
Lyndon A. Zaitz
A world of thanks
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ABOVE: Keizer fi refi ghters
Sean Cummings, Tyler Bull-
ock, Taylor Russell and Victor
Hess show off meals delivered
to the station on Wednesday,
April 22.
RIGHT: A fi refi ghter picks up
a meal as Mike Adams, owner
of Adam’s Smokehouse, looks
on.
KEIZERTIMES/
Stephanie Wittman
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