Cottleville Fire District to ask voters for more tax funds

Residents in the  Cottleville Fire Protection District will soon be asked to vote on a ballot initiative for improvements in the district that could raise taxes by about $100 per household.

The April 3 ballot issue, dubbed Proposition CARES, would increase the district’s operating tax-rate by 27-cents. This would mean owners of a home valued at $200,000 would pay an additional $104 per year in taxes.

The decision to put the measure to a vote came after consideration of recommendations made by the Citizens Advancing Responsible Emergency Services (CARES) committee. The committee has been meeting since September to develop long-range plans for the fire district. The result of their work is a multi-phase plan to help the district meet current and future challenges.

“Over the past few months we have worked very hard to learn about the challenges facing our fire district. District and area experts have been very transparent in providing us with the information we needed to make informed decisions to create a solid long-range plan for the future,” said Steve Mahler, a district resident who served on the CARES facilitating team. “The CARES Proposition is the result of the community saying what they think the district needs in order to continue providing us with the emergency services we expect.”

If approved, Proposition CARES would provide funding for the district to preserve the current level of emergency services, provide up-to-date firefighter/EMT training, to hire additional firefighter and emergency medical personnel and to hire a full-time trainer to ensure training meets national standards

The proposition, if approved, would also establish a capital projects fund for the proactive repair and maintenance of facilities, enhance and re-establish a public safety education program, to provide for regular equipment maintenance and replacement and to help maintain a balanced budget.

“We are very happy to see that the board followed through on the community’s recommendations,” said CARES Community Co-Chair Kim King, “The implementation of the CARES plan is critical for the future of our emergency services.”

Cottleville Fire Protection District Board President Mike Reiter said seeing residents come together to develop long-range plans was rewarding.

“It means a lot to have our residents come together to create a long-range plan that will provide a strong foundation for the district to continue its level of service, and grow in the future,” Reiter said.