2A • January 26, 2018 | Cannon Beach Gazette | cannonbeachgazette.com
Cannon Beach fire board debates levy
Board members
worried about
‘tax fatigue’
By Brenna Visser
Cannon Beach Gazette
Cannon Beach Rural Fire
Protection District board
members delayed a vote Jan.
15 whether to put a modified
levy on the May ballot that
would raise property taxes,
citing concerns that voters
would not support a tax in-
crease.
The change would more
than double the rate to $0.35
per thousand of assessed
property, up from $0.1488.
It’s a difference between pay-
ing roughly $14 a year on a
$100,000 home versus paying
$35.
The fire district would
bring in about $385,000
a year, compared to the
$141,469 since voters last ap-
proved the levy in 2013. Fire
Chief Matt Benedict proposed
modifying the levy, which is
put up for a vote every five
years and pays for the salary,
benefits and other costs of the
fire chief, into an operational
levy to allow funding for two
firefighter paramedics.
Funding the positions
would help the district re-
spond to a growing number of
medical calls in an area where
firefighters are often first on
scene before ambulances can
arrive, Benedict said. Funding
would also help address the
decline in volunteer firefight-
er recruitment and a backlog
of fire inspections.
But board members were
weary of introducing a tax in-
crease so soon after voters ap-
proved a $99.7 million bond
in 2016 to relocate Seaside
schools. Board member Gar-
ry Smith said he feared voters
may have “tax fatigue.”
“We have to be careful
with how we sell this to the
public if we are going to ask
them to pay a few more hun-
dred dollars a year on their
property,” Smith said. “We
should explore other avenues
before jumping into taxes.”
More surveys
Board members agreed
that the needs of the fire dis-
trict have outgrown the rev-
enue generated from the tax.
But some said more research
should be done into the prob-
lems Benedict described
before asking voters to pay
more.
“What’s the value in rush-
ing to put this out in May?”
said board member Mark
Morgans., adding he wants
to see more study done on
COLIN MURPHEY/EO MEDIA GROUP
Firefighting gear hangs
ready for the next emergen-
cy at Cannon Beach Fire
and Rescue.
how often paramedic services
would be needed from local
firefighters. “We need to take
a look at how frequently that
occurs.”
Smith agreed more sur-
veys to gauge public interest
and education about the issues
should be done. He also sug-
gested the district start look-
ing at merging with neighbor-
ing districts as a way to share
resources and cut costs.
Board member Mark Mek-
enas said he would prefer the
district look at working with
the city to raise the lodging
tax or institute a food and bev-
erage tax.
“We want to get the peo-
ple who use the services to
pay for it,” Mekenas said,
referring to the times of year
where a large influx of tourists
lead to higher call volumes.
“Eventually we need to get
more money. But how we do
it? That’s the tap dance we’ll
have to do to figure it out.”
Board members Sharon
Clyde and Bob Cerelli agreed,
but had doubts about the city’s
cooperation.
“We all want the best help
we can get, but we only have
‘x’ amount of dollars to do it,”
Clyde said. “Nothing would
surprise me more than getting
money from the city.”
Benedict understands the
concerns of the board, and
will continue to research all
possible funding sources, he
said.
The board will revisit the
decision on how to approach
the levy in February. If they
decide not to approve the ver-
sion with the rate increase,
Benedict said the district still
has the option to modify the
original fire chief levy into an
operational one while keeping
the existing rate. Instead of
the revenue only paying for
fire chief-related items, this
would simplify the budget
process and allow the district
to spend the money on all
general operations, Benedict
said.
“I want to make sure re-
search is done, there is public
input and to make sure we are
transparent to our citizens,”
he said.
Hiker brought to safety after becoming lost
Cannon Beach Gazette
A hiker lost east of U.S. High-
way 101 was brought to safety
Saturday, Jan. 13, by Cannon
Beach firefighters.
Responding to the call at was
Lt. Brian Smith and Firefighters
Shaunna White, Josiah Norris
and Levi Anderson. After deter-
mining coordinates, firefighters
drove to an area close by to find
the lost hiker.
Firefighters provide assistance
after a report of a lost hiker on
Jan. 13.
CANNON BEACH RURAL FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT
U.S. COAST GUARD
A man is hoisted to safety after being stranded at Hug
Point in Cannon Beach.
Coast Guard rescues
man left stranded at
Hug Point by tide
Cannon Beach Gazette
A man stranded at Hug
Point was hoisted to safety
after a Coast Guard rescue
Sunday, Jan. 14.
According to Coast
Guard officials, a call short-
ly before noon brought the
crew to Cannon Beach after
the stranded tourist called
911 with his cellphone.
An MH-60 Jayhawk
helicopter from Sector Co-
lumbia River arrived at
the scene at about 12:30
p.m. and hoisted the man
to safety before landing on
a nearby beach. The man
was subsequently treated by
emergency medical person-
nel from Cannon Beach.
Coast Guard rescues three
fishermen near Ecola State Park
EO Media Group
Three fishermen were
rescued Jan. 17 after be-
ing stranded near an Ecola
State Park beach.
The men were fishing
in tide pools before a high
tide caused them to become
stranded near Indian Beach
around noon. A Coast
Guard MH-60 Jayhawk
helicopter crew hoisted
the men and brought them
to another section of the
shore.
No injuries were report-
ed.
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