Months after helping fight the worst wildfires in Oregon history, nine firefighters from Marion County Fire District No. 1 will be laid off.
After voters rejected the second operations levy in as many elections, the fire district that covers 55,000 people over 80 square miles of Marion County was forced to cut $2.4 million from its $19.7 million budget.
Marion County Fire District No. 1 laid off three firefighters after the first levy failed in May – the first one it ever had that failed – and will trim its staff to 41 people, including 32 in operations as firefighters or paramedics, after failing again in the Nov. 3 election.
“It’s the toughest thing that I’ve had to do in my fire service career,” Marion County Fire District No. 1 chief Kyle McMann said. “I’ve lost a lot of sleep since May knowing that we lost a levy for the first time in our history.”