With other proposed taxes like a city of Bend transportation bond pulled from the May ballot due to the coronavirus pandemic, Redmond Fire & Rescue District is forging ahead with a levy that would raise $5 million over five years.
Chief Ken Kehmna said there wasn’t much choice: the money is needed.
“Yes, it was a big decision,” Kehmna said. “But the thing I tell everyone is, before all of this, it was already a big decision for us to go to the voters. If we didn’t have to go, we wouldn’t go. This isn’t discretionary in any way for us. I’m afraid we just can’t wait any longer. We have to do this now.” The district is asking voters in the May 19 election to approve a new tax of 27 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. That increase, plus the $1.75 per $1,000 in assessed value district taxpayers already pay, would bring the district in line with the state average for fire districts with local option levies in place, according to Kehmna.