Adair Rural Fire Protection District General Obligation Bond.

Adair Rural Fire Protection District is asking voters to authorize the issuance of general obligation bonds not to exceed $1,860,000 to finance capital costs for fire apparatus and other public safety equipment.

How would the funds be used?

If approved, bond proceeds would be used to purchase apparatus and equipment, for example a structural fire engine (Type 1), a Wildland Urban Interface engine (Type 3), a water tender, and /or associated firefighting and emergency response equipment, as well as to pay costs related to issuing the bonds.

The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) recommends that frontline fire apparatus remain in frontline service for approximately 15 years, with an overall service life of about 25 years before replacement. Several of the District's primary emergency response vehicles are at or beyond these recommended service-life guidelines.

The District's frontline structural fire engine is approaching 24 years of service, while the reserve structural fire engine is approximately 33 years old. The District's water tender is approximately 43 years old, and the department currently does not own a Wildland-Urban Interface engine for responding to wildland and interface fires.

If approved, the bond measure would provide funding to acquire, replace or upgrade fire apparatus and related equipment for fire suppression, emergency response, and water supply operations.

What is the cost to the taxpayers?

If the bond passes, the fire District expects to levy about $0.40 in property taxes for every $1,000 of taxable assessed value each year to repay the bonds. Taxable assessed value is not the same as market value. In Oregon, many properties have a taxable assessed value that is significantly lower than its real market value. A home with a taxable assessed value of $200,000 is expected to pay approximately $80 per year, or about $6.70 per month based on the estimated rate.

The actual tax rate may be higher or lower depending on:

The bonds would be paid off within 25 years or less from issuance date.

The bond would be repaid through a dedicated property tax levy on taxable property in the district.

Because these are general obligation bonds, the bonds would be payable from taxes on property or property ownership that are not subject to the limits of sections 11 and 11b, Article XI of the Oregon Constitution). That means they are collected in addition to taxes subject to those limits.

The stated tax rate is only an estimate, based on the best information available from the county assessor when it was prepared.

What if the bond is not approved?

If the bond is not approved, the District would not issue bonds for apparatus and equipment and not levy the estimated tax of $0.40 per $1,000 of assessed value.

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