Fire Levy 2025

Proposed Fire & Life Safety Services Measure

Ballot Measure 20-371 proposes a five-year levy of $0.53 per $1,000 assessed value beginning in July 2026 for fire and life safety services in Springfield. This is an increase of $0.15 over the current levy and reflects estimated costs of materials, services, and staffing through the five-year period. This levy replaces the current levy, which is set to expire in June 2026. If passed by voters, this levy would help maintain staffing and equipment of one of Springfield’s five fire engine companies with firefighter-paramedics for a five-year period beginning July 1, 2026.

Springfield Fire Levy 2025 Ballot Measure 20-371

Background

Fire and life safety services in Springfield are provided through five fire stations strategically placed throughout the city to provide rapid response. One fire crew is assigned to each fire station. Each fire crew also serves as the first paramedic response unit, dispatched with an ambulance, to all life-threatening emergency medical calls for service.

In Fiscal Year 2024, there were 8,138 medical calls, 774 fire calls, 1,778 public assistance calls, and 8,483 transports in Springfield.

Springfield voters passed special operating levies for fire and life safety services in 2002, 2006, 2010, 2015, 2020. The current levy of $0.38 per $1,000 assessed value expires in June 2026.

City of Springfield Ballot Measure 20-371

This is the official ballot title language adopted by Springfield City Council through Resolution No. 2025-22, approved on June 23, 2025: Shall Springfield levy $0.53 per $1,000 of assessed value for five years beginning 2026/27 for fire and life safety services? This measure may cause property taxes to increase more than three percent.

Details & Summary of Measure 20-371

If Measure Passes By The Voters

If Measure Does Not Pass

This levy would maintain Springfield’s current level of emergency response for fire protection, rescue, hazardous materials release and mitigation, and emergency medical response by helping fund staff and equipment to maintain and operate one of the five fire engine crews serving Springfield.
All five engines are staffed with firefighter-paramedics. Staffing and operations costs include wages and benefits, safety equipment, vehicle and equipment expenses, dispatch, and required fire academy training. This levy helps fund 7 full time equivalent firefighter-paramedics in Springfield.
This levy would maintain faster response times in Springfield for both emergency and non-emergency calls and maintain the number of firefighter-paramedics on duty each shift. The current response time is 7 minutes, 19 seconds.

There would be no continued levy dedicated to funding one of the five fire engine crews that currently serve Springfield.
Based on a home with an assessed value of $189,000, the reduction in property taxes would be approximately $63.32 when the current levy sunsets in June 2026.

Levy Rate

If passed by voters, Ballot Measure 20-371 would cost $0.53 per $1,000 assessed value for five years beginning July 1, 2026. This is an increase of $0.15 over the current levy and reflects estimated costs of materials, services, and staffing through the five-year period.

The levy is based upon assessed value, not market value. A homeowner with an assessed value of $189,000 would pay $100 per year in estimated taxes. Total estimated payments over the five-year life of the levy would be $500. If the levy does not pass, Springfield homeowners would see an average reduction in taxes of $62.32 annually after the current levy sunsets in June 2026.

The levy would raise about $$3,170,561 in 2026-27, $3,249,766 in 2027-28, $3,327,770 in 2028-29, $3,403,963 in 2029-30, and $3,477,627 in 2030-31 for a total of about $16,629,687.

Election Information

September 20, 2025 – Out-of-country and military ballots mailed
October 5 – Out-of-state ballots mailed
October 14 – Voter Registration Deadline
October 15 – Ballots mailed; official drop sites open
November 4 – Election Day

Springfield voters must return their completed ballots by 8 pm, Election Day, November 4.

Ballots may be returned at any Lane County Official Drop Site by 8 pm, Election Day. Ballots may also be mailed to Lane County Elections. For more information about Elections, visit www.lanecounty.org/elections

Please contact the Springfield City Manager’s Office at 541.726.3700 if you’d like to schedule a presentation with your community group.

City Council Work Session