Voters asked to renew funding for rural fire

The Columbia Falls Rural Fire Department is looking to renew its funding for another 10 years.

A ballot to decide the 10-mill per year levy is set to be mailed to voters at the end of the month. The rural district includes areas outside the city limits — south to near Glacier International Airport, north of the city including Meadow Lake and the North Fork Road and east to the Bad Rock area.

Steve Marquesen, the rural fire board’s chairman, said the levy will be used for operating expenses and equipment purchases.

“It’s not an increase,” he said. “It’s maintaining what we have now.”

The rural and city fire departments have a cooperative agreement and share volunteer firefighters. They share some of the expenses.

Marquesen said the rural department needs to replace one of its fire trucks that is about 25 years old and must continually replace firefighters’ turnout gear.

“(The gear) has a useful life and we replace it on an on-going basis,” he said.

If the levy is approved, taxes would remain at the same level. A home valued at $100,000 under the 2009 tax value calculations would pay $18.52. A home valued at $200,000 would pay $37.04.

Marquesen noted that the rural department has the best insurance rating possible for a volunteer department, in part because of the current levy.

“The value of the levy is obviously fire protection,” he said.

The department used the previous levy to construct its fire hall on U.S. Highway 2 and to purchase various equipment. Last year the department bought a new water tanker to replace a 30-year-old truck.

The truck is important to the department, Marquesen said previously, because much of the rural district does not have fire hydrants. That means firefighters must bring the tanker to extinguish fires.

Ballots will be mailed to all registered voters in the district on Jan. 27. They must be returned by mail to the Flathead County Election Administrator, 800 South Main, Kalispell, MT 59901 or in person to Columbia Falls City Hall. Ballots are due by Feb. 16, and can be deposited at the election administrator or city hall, both will be open from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m. that day.