A new option levy for emergency services will appear on May's ballot for voters in Tualatin Valley Fire & Rescue's service area.
TVF&R says over the last five years the frequency of emergency incidents they receive has increased 23%, meaning the department needs to grow too.
The levy will cost 69 cents per $1,000 assessed home value, which is 24 cents more than the current levy. That would equal roughly $210 a year for the average home.
The current levy expires June 2025. TVF&R says the new five-year levy will allow them to retain 92 existing firefighter and paramedic positions and add 36 more, as well as add new equipment. "That was an analysis of what our costs would be. That ranges from the first responders that I mentioned earlier -- the apparatus -- specifically we'll be purchasing apparatus that are used for wildfire fighting. And then units that are used to transport patients,” said Cassandra Ulven, director of government and public affairs.