Fire District 2 seeks 27-cent levy increase on November ballot

Oct. 18--JOHNSON COUNTY -- The Johnson County Fire Protection District No. 2 seeks a 27-cent levy increase on the Nov. 6 ballot, the first levy increase requested in 20 years.

The increase would bring the current 35.57-cent levy to 62.57 cents per $100 of assessed valuation, bringing projected annual revenue from $484,174 this year to approximately $851,700 next year, based on current district valuation of $136,188,667, County Clerk Diane Thompson said.

Since it formed in 1982, the district has experienced many significant challenges, district officials say, and the increase is needed to keep pace with increased demands for service and operating and equipment costs.

Increased costs have reached a point where property tax levies are not sufficient to meet the district's current needs, they say.The district serves approximately 265 square miles in western Johnson County. It responded to 480 incident calls in 2016, and 547 incident calls in 2017.

A full-time fire chief, full-time assistant chief and a part-time administrative assistant comprise the staff, along with 65 volunteer firefighters who are paid on a per-call basis. Five fire stations are located throughout the district.

With inflation, operating costs have continued to increase over the last 36 years, officials say, with the cost of firefighting and lifesaving equipment rising even faster.

A fire engine purchased in 1999 cost $149,761, while the cost of a replacement engine in 2008 was $294,500. The cost of personal protective equipment is now approximately $3,000 per set per firefighter, with current national standards requiring replacement every 10 years, information from the district states.

Keeping fire suppression apparatus and equipment up to date, along with continued training of firefighters, increases the district's fire suppression capabilities and helps to lower homeowner insurance rates that are partially calculated using Insurance Service Office ratings.

The ISO ratings are determined by analyzing certain data gathered by ISO regarding the district's structure fire suppression capabilities. A recent review resulted in the district's ISO rating being reduced from 8 to 7, and district officials say they want to continue to make improvements in the ISO ratings.

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