City of Missoula and firefighters celebrate fire tax approval

MISSOULA, Mont. — Missoula city and fire officials marked the passage of a voter-approved fire tax Wednesday with joyful remarks from Mayor Andrea Davis' office.

The levy, favored by 63 percent of voters, will provide about $7 million to fire departments in its first year. The money will allow the department to increase salaries, permanently fund the mobile support team and hire 20 additional firefighters to staff a sixth fire truck.

“They don't want to have to ask for help, they're the ones helping, but this levy was really a really big show of support for the community.” Stacie Anderson, Ward Five council member, said. “That you are valued, appreciated, that we see you and that we realize that the work that you do is worth investing in, even in this incredibly tight fiscal climate.”

No location has been chosen for Missoula's sixth station. Previous fire master plans have identified an area west of Reserve Street and north of Mullan Road, Hughes said.

It will take three years to receive a fire truck for the station, Hughes told reporters. The reserve engines would fill up in the meantime.

The added station will seek to take some of the “heat” off stations one and four, Hughes said, which consistently lead the department in annual call volume.

Adopting this levy will further increase property taxes. A median assessed value home in Missoula will pay $189 more per year.

Hughes and Mayor Davis both mentioned exploring options to grow the department incrementally rather than all at once. The department hasn't hired new firefighters since 2008.

“There may be new development options that would help plan for growth of the fire department in the future. So we’re not hiring 20 firefighters at one time,” Hughes said.

Hughes floated the idea of ​​imposing an impact or other fee on future development. Such a step would not be “taken lightly,” Davis added, and would require extensive study.