The Marion County fire department didn't win at the ballot box and that means people are losing their jobs.
Marion County Fire District No. 1 Chief Kyle McMann said Tuesday night layoffs are coming because of what happened in the May and November elections.
Voters twice rejected a local option levy that would have increased property taxes by 28 cents per $1,000 of assessed property values.
The levy would have generated revenue for the fire department. Without it, 12 full-time positions are being cut. That includes paramedics and a battalion chief.
“Most of them have families. Some of them have young kids. The battalion chief is two years from retirement, and fire department jobs are not easy to come by,” McMann said. “A big hit to our organization and takes close to a third of our staffing.”