Ambulance tax rate, split rate will not appear on ballot until May 2005
The Sweet Home Fire and Ambulance District will not place its proposal to create a split tax rate for ambulance service areas.
“The law says we cannot vote to levy a tax or vote to establish zones except in our normal election year,” SHFAD Board President Don Hopkins said. Odd-numbered years are when the district elects new board members, and the next opportunity will be May 2005.
In May 2005, the district will present a request to voters to create two taxing zones within the district and establish tax rates for the zones.
The first zone includes all of the area originally included in the district, including Crawfordsville, Holley, Sweet Home and along Highway 20 up to the Mountain House. The Linn County Board of Commissioners voted last month to approve the annexation of the rest of the land within School District 55, which stretches to the junction of Highway 20 and 22 to the east.
The land, almost entirely forest land, was not included originally because it was already protected by the Oregon Department of Forestry, which taxes it separately for fire protection. The SHFAD is required to provide ambulance service to the area, which used to be a part of the Sweet Home Ambulance District with a tax rate of 39 cents per $1,000 for ambulance service.
The first zone would retain a tax rate of $1.50 for fire and ambulance service. The second zone would have a new tax rate of 35 cents per $1,000 for ambulance service.
The May 2005 election will require 50 percent of voters to vote to establish the new tax rate.