2026 Fire District Levy Information - November 3 Election
Fire Levy Information
Proposed Permanent Levy: $785,000
The Spirit Lake Fire Protection District is asking voters to consider a proposed $785,000 permanent levy to support reliable fire protection and emergency services for our community.
The proposed levy would replace the District's current temporary two-year levy of $477,000 and provide ongoing funding to support emergency response, staffing, equipment, facilities, training, and safety.
Proposed effective date: Fiscal Year 2027/28, beginning October 1, 2027
Estimated Annual Cost
$32.70 per $100,000 of taxable assessed value
Levy at a Glance
$785,000
Proposed Permanent Levy
$32.70
Estimated Annual Cost
per $100,000 of Taxable Assessed Value
October 1, 2027
Proposed Start Date
Fiscal Year 2027/28
PERMANENT
Replaces Current
Temporary 2-Year Levy
Current Levy vs. Proposed Levy
Current Temporary Levy
$477,000
Temporary two-year levy
$22.10 per $100,000 of taxable assessed value
Temporary funding authority
Expires: September 30, 2027
Proposed Permanent Levy
$785,000
Permanent levy
$32.70 per $100,000 of taxable assessed value
Ongoing funding authority
Begins: October 1, 2027
The proposed permanent levy would replace the District’s current temporary two-year levy.
Enter your property’s taxable assessed value to see an estimate of the annual cost under the current and proposed levies.
What Would This Cost Me?
Estimate Your Annual Levy Cost
Enter your property's assessed value to estimate the annual cost of the current and proposed Spirit Lake Fire Protection District levies.
Idaho's Homeowner's Exemption can exempt 50% of the value of a qualifying primary residence and up to one acre, up to a maximum exemption of $125,000.
Important: This calculator provides an estimate based on the assessed value entered, the estimated levy rates shown, and, if selected, the Idaho Homeowner's Exemption. Actual tax impacts may vary. The county assessor determines eligibility for the Homeowner's Exemption and the actual taxable value.
Why is Additional Funding Needed?
The Spirit Lake Fire Protection District is facing increasing demands for emergency services while the cost of providing those services continues to rise.
The proposed permanent levy would provide a more stable source of funding to help the District meet today's needs and plan for the future.
State Law Limits Budget Growth
Idaho law limits how quickly property-tax budget authority can grow. Allowable increases may not keep pace with increasing emergency-service demands and the rising cost of providing fire protection.
Increased Demand
The District is experiencing increased call volume and growing demands for fire and emergency services.
As call volume and service demands grow, the District must have trained personnel, reliable equipment, and adequate resources available to respond when emergencies occur.
Reliable emergency response depends on having firefighters available, properly trained, and ready to respond 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Costs Are Rising Faster
Fuel, equipment, supplies, insurance, personnel, and training costs continue to increase.
At the same time, inflation reduces the purchasing power of existing levy revenue.
Equipment Costs Are Increasing
Fire engines and specialized emergency vehicles are major investments.
A new fire engine can cost approximately $800,000 to more than $1 million, making long-term replacement planning increasingly important.
$800,000-$1,000,000+
Reliable fire apparatus is essential to safely and effectively responding to emergencies. Increasing apparatus costs make long-term replacement planning an important part of maintaining emergency readiness.
How Would the Funds Be Used?
If approved, the proposed permanent levy would support the continued delivery and improvement of fire and emergency services throughout the Spirit Lake Fire Protection District.
Emergency Response & Staffing
Funding would support the District’s ability to maintain and increase 24/7 staffing. The goal is to provide:
4 Firefighters per Shift
Maintaining adequate staffing is critical to emergency response. It ensures trained firefighters are available when residents and visitors need help.
Additional funding would help the District maintain and increase 24/7 staffing, with a goal of four firefighters per shift.
This would strengthen the District’s ability to respond to emergencies while maintaining reliable coverage throughout the community.
Staffing Station 2 in Blanchard
The proposed permanent levy would support the ability to staff Station 2 in Blanchard.
Staffing the station would improve the District’s ability to provide emergency services and support faster response capabilities in the area.
Equipment & Apparatus
Keeping Our Equipment Ready
Firefighters depend on reliable apparatus and equipment every time they respond to an emergency.
The proposed levy would support maintenance, repairs, replacement planning, and eventual replacement of aging fire apparatus and emergency equipment.
With new fire engines costing approximately $800,000 to more than $1 million, planning ahead is essential to maintaining reliable emergency response capabilities.
Facilities
Maintaining Our Fire Stations
Fire stations provide the operational base for emergency response.
Levy funding would support maintenance and necessary updates to District facilities, helping protect personnel, apparatus, equipment, and emergency readiness.
Training & Safety
Keeping Our Community and Firefighters Safe
Firefighters and EMTs must maintain required training, certifications, and skills to safely respond to emergencies.
Funding would support required firefighter and EMT training, certification, continuing education, and safety training.
What does “Permanent Levy” Mean?
The proposed permanent levy would establish an ongoing source of levy authority for the Spirit Lake Fire Protection District.
Unlike the current temporary two-year levy, the proposed permanent levy would not require the District to seek renewal of the same funding authority every two years.
The proposed $785,000 permanent levy would replace the current $477,000 temporary levy and would begin in Fiscal Year 2027/28, starting October 1, 2027. In addition, it would establish a new funding base for future budgets.
FAQ
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No. The proposed $785,000 permanent levy would replace the District’s current $477,000 temporary two-year levy.
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If approved, the levy would begin in Fiscal Year 2027/28, starting October 1, 2027.
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The proposed levy is $785,000.
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The estimated annual cost is $32.70 per $100,000 of taxable assessed value.
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The current temporary levy is estimated at $22.10 per $100,000 of taxable assessed value.
The proposed levy is estimated at $32.70 per $100,000 taxable assessed value.
The estimated difference is $10.60 per $100,000 of taxable assessed value.
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The District is facing increased demand for emergency services, rising operational costs, increasing equipment costs, staffing needs, facility needs, and ongoing training and certification requirements.
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Funding would support emergency response and staffing, equipment and apparatus, facilities, and firefighter/EMT training and safety.
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Yes. The proposed measure is a permanent levy that would replace the current temporary two-year levy.
Serving Our Community - Now and Into the Future
The Spirit Lake Fire Protection District is committed to providing professional fire protection and emergency services to the communities we serve.
The proposed permanent levy would provide a more stable source of funding to help the District plan for staffing, equipment, facilities, training, and emergency response needs today and into the future.
We appreciate the opportunity to provide residents with information about the proposed levy.
Questions About the Levy?
Election Information
Election Date: November 3, 2026