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RAIN Temp: 42 °F Wind: SSW at 3 mph Monday, April 21, 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 March 24, 2003 Jacksonville approves citywide surcharge The current plan is to send the fee out to residents as a supplement to water bills By SANNE SPECHT Mail Tribune JACKSONVILLE — Finding a stable funding source for the understaffed and under-equipped Jacksonville Fire Department is proving a challenge for the city’s newly-formed Ad Hoc Public Safety Committee. Now the council has added a funding request for the police department. After tentatively approving and then abandoning at least two other less-costly funding options for the fire department in the past two months, the council unanimously approved a citywide monthly surcharge of $15 at the March 18 City Council meeting. It’s not clear how the charge would be collected, but distributing it with city water bills has been suggested. Citing concerns about future funding for the police department, the council recently approved the higher rate. Earlier this month, the council was told the police budget was "in good shape." However, City Administrator Paul Wyntergreen said the council decided that creating a funding source solely for the fire department was "too narrow." "The council saw both departments as needing funding in the long term," he said How the residents will pay the new fees is still under review. At the March 4 council meeting, City Administrator Paul Wyntergreen said the surcharge would be applied by address, not by meter. But Councilman Wally Hicks said he was still unclear about the billing. "I’m not sure that issue has been resolved," said Hicks. Leona Corbeth of Jacksonville says she has concerns about the surcharge being applied equitably. The current plan is to send the fee out to residents as a supplement to city water bills. "I want to know what is going to happen with the people who live within city limits but are not on city water," said Corbeth. Corbeth said at least 20 people in her immediate neighborhood are not receiving city water. "I don’t think the people up near Wells Fargo and those new homes are on city water either, but they sure will expect the fire and police to come to their aid should they need them," she said. Councilwoman Doris Crofoot said she felt the only fair thing was to have everyone pay, regardless of whether they get city water. "This has nothing to do with the water bill. I think it would only be fair for them to pay into the fund," said Crofoot. In addition to providing stabilized funding for the police department, the city would like to hire four additional full-time firefighters in order to staff the station continuously. They also want to repair and modernize the fire station, acquire a second fire engine, increase the number of student firefighters from one to three, hire two summer-only firefighters for the brush fire truck and investigate the creation of a reserve force to help in the event of a major city fire. When Jacksonville residents voted down a $2.8 million levy in November, levy opponents Dick Ames and Len Hebert became members of the newly formed Ad Hoc Committee for Public Safety, which eventually came up with the final idea. Residents will have a chance to comment at the first reading of the ordinance at the April 1 City Council meeting. 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