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CLEAR Temp: 59 °F Wind: NE at 6 mph Monday, May 19, 2003 SECTIONS Home Page Local News Sports Business Obituaries Life Opinion - Politics AP News Weather Classified Archives Site Map EXTRA HomeLife Magazine W3 Magazine Jobs @ Mail Tribune Tempo A & E Oregon CarZone Wellness Connection Real Estate Newspaper in Education Prime Times Outdoor Journal Personals Movie Times TV Times E The People CLASSIFIEDS Find a Car Find a Home Find a Job Find Everything E SOUTHERN OREGON Automotive Communities Entertainment Publications Recreation Calendar ABOUT US FAQ What's New Advertise Home Delivery Classified Ad Contact Us Media Kit Email Story to a Friend April 13, 2003 Jacksonville will add $15 to city bills for police and firefighting By SANNE SPECHT Mail Tribune JACKSONVILLE — Starting in June, residents will pay a new $15 monthly public safety surcharge to finance the city’s fire and police departments. City Administrator Paul Wyntergreen said the new charge will either be a line-item addition to Jacksonville’s utility bills or, for residents who are not on city water, come as a separate billing. The city has agreed to provide relief options for those who prove they cannot afford to pay the increase. The council unanimously approved the surcharge at its April 1 meeting, despite heated public comment against it by several community members, including former city Mayor Clara Wendt. Wendt said the fee was "unacceptable." She accused the council of "taking the coward’s way out and soaking its citizens" in supporting the surcharge. Councilman Bill Leep said the council voted for the ordinance to protect Jacksonville and its residents. Leep said because of the age of Jacksonville’s historic buildings, a catastrophic fire could jeopardize the town’s future. "I don’t think the average household understands just how vulnerable we are," said Leep. "Aside from human life, our most valuable asset is our town. We don’t have firewalls in these historic structures. They would burn and crumble in a blink of an eye." Attorney Alan Harper, who represents the investors in Pioneer Village — a 117-unit retirement complex that is under construction — said he favors the surcharge. Harper said he tried hard to find reasons to spare his clients the expense, but said he was convinced of the surcharge’s necessity by members of the city’s new Ad Hoc Public Safety Committee. "The cowardly thing would be to duck the issue," said Harper at the April 1 meeting. Dick Ames, spokesman for the six-member committee, was instrumental in defeating the city’s $2.8 million fire levy last November, claiming it was too expensive. Ames and others approached the council and offered to come up with alternative funding options for the fire department. In recent months, the committee has offered three funding options, including a restaurant tax, which was strongly opposed by local restaurant owners. The surcharge includes additional funding for the police department and is the most expensive of the committee’s three plans. In March, Wyntergreen told the council that the city’s budget could cover current police expenses, but that as the department’s needs grow with the population, additional funding will be required. Ames said his research determined the city needs around-the-clock, seven-day-a-week firefighting coverage. In order to provide that, Ames said, the city will need to hire four additional firefighters, three student firefighters (the fee will pay for their schooling) and two summer firefighters. It also will need to bolster its 17-member volunteer unit. In addition to adding personnel, the surcharge will assist in the purchase of at least one other fire truck and help repair and modernize the fire station, as well as provide additional funds to the police department’s budget. Reach reporter Sanne Specht at 776-4497 or e-mail [email protected] . Printer Friendly Version Email Story to a Friend Subscribe Archive: Click to Search Mail Tribune Home Local News | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Life Opinion - Politics | AP News | Archives | Site Map E Southern Oregon | Classified Copyright © 1997-2003 Mail Tribune. All rights reserved. Privacy Policy | Terms & Conditions Website Feedback A D V E R T I S E R S