Among the items on November’s ballot is a request to double a property tax levy for a fire district that serves residents south of the Eugene-Springfield area.
The South Lane Fire & Rescue District Board is asking voters to double a levy that pays for its operations so it can hire more firefighters.
The district serves Creswell, Cottage Grove and surrounding areas.
According to the district’s website , the additional funding would increase the number of on-duty firefighters at any given time from seven to ten. That increase would allow the district to staff a third ambulance crew.
It would also increase minimum staffing at any given time, a mechanism that can result in overtime pay for firefighters who volunteer to pick up a shift during a shortage.
The request comes as call volume