Missoula’s fire and emergency services levy is on track to pass, according to initial primary election results as of Wednesday morning.
The levy received 63 percent approval, or 12,393 “yes” votes, with 7,348 voters opposed to the measure.
Andy Drobeck, president of the Missoula firefighters union, said it’s good to see the levy passing with a greater margin than expected.
“Most guys are happy we can move this fire department forward to a place we can respond more effectively and provide citizens with better fire and EMS service,” he said.
At current rates, the 34-mill levy would raise $7 million in the first year, with the owner of a $300,000 home paying $138 and the owner of a $600,000 home paying $276. The levy will appear on tax bills beginning this year.
The revenue will pay for 20 new firefighters and a sixth fire station, help keep firefighter wages competitive and replace aging equipment, according to the Missoula Fire Department. It would also provide permanent funding for the Mobile Support Team, which responds to behavioral health-related 911 calls.
“On behalf of our entire department, we are grateful to the voters for their overwhelming support,” Fire Chief Gordy Hughes said in a statement. “This levy will enable us to maintain and improve our capabilities, ensuring that we are always ready to respond efficiently and effectively to emergencies. The community’s trust and investment in their department is invaluable, and we are committed to serving with the dedication and professionalism that Missoula deserves.”
The levy was originally set to appear on the ballot last November, but City Council voted to hold off, citing uncertainty and apprehension around rising property tax bills in Missoula and across the state.
“We need to look for other ways to grow the department and provide the public with services as the city grows without these tax burdens, because that would push people out of Missoula.”
While Missoula’s population and city limits have grown significantly in the last 15 years, the fire department hasn’t added new firefighters since 2008, Hughes said last month. Emergency calls have nearly doubled from about 6,000 to 11,000 annually, and response times have increased, he said.
A rise in simultaneous calls means fire crews are often responding from farther away, Hughes said, contributing to the department’s average response times to medical emergencies and structure fires being above industry standards.
Without the levy, the city’s general fund would remain the only consistent funding source for fire and emergency services. State law limits how much the city can increase property tax revenue, and public safety makes up the majority of the general fund, making it difficult to cut other services to increase funding for fire services.
The Mobile Support Team’s future without the levy revenue was also uncertain. The city and county started the crisis response program three years ago using grants and federal pandemic relief money that’s no longer available. The program costs about $1.4 million annually.
Drobeck said although most residents he met while door knocking for the levy were supportive of the fire department, the results show many Missoulians are unwilling to pay more in taxes.
“There has to be better paths forward in the future,” he said. “We need to look for other ways to grow the department and provide the public with services as the city grows without these tax burdens, because that would push people out of Missoula.”
The department is anxious to get moving on the plan for the new engine company and station as soon as possible, Drobeck said.
“For those on the engines, we just answer the alarms,” he said. “We’re going to keep doing that and hopefully we can do a better job once we get some things in place now we have the resources to do that.”
