QuickTake:

City councilors unanimously agreed to move ahead with raising the levy rate after an outside research firm said voters were likely to support the tax increase. 

The Springfield City Council agreed Tuesday to proceed with a ballot measure that will ask voters to renew and increase the city’s fire levy. 

The council discussed the increase at a work session after receiving information on the levy’s history from Springfield Finance Director Nathan Bell. Researchers with a Portland firm the city contracted with to survey Springfield voters about the proposed levy increase also presented their findings. 

The levy, which was first established in 2002, has been renewed by voters four times. The levy supports Eugene Springfield Fire Station 3, at North 28th Street and Centennial Boulevard. The current rate pays for about 65% of costs at the station, Bell said. 

The levy was most recently renewed in 2020 at a rate of 38 cents per $1,000 of assessed home value for homeowners. By renewing the levy at a rate of 53 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, a 15-cent increase, the levy would allow for full funding of Fire Station 3, Bell said. 

According to a memo to the city manager prepared by Bell, Fire Station 3 responded to 21% of the city’s overall calls for fire, rescue and emergency medical response in 2024. If the levy is not increased, the city could experience a 20% reduction in fire services, per the memo. 

“This would result in fewer response resources being spread more thinly across the entire service area, which will adversely affect the safety of our community and firefighters,” the memo states.

While Springfield and Eugene share a fire department, each city has its own budget, and all revenue from the levy will be dedicated to Springfield fire and rescue services, according to information presented to councilors. 

Man presents to city councilors
Springfield Finance Director Nathan Bell presents information on the fire levy to city councilors. Credit: Lillian Schrock-Clevenger / Lookout Eugene-Springfield

Findings by research firm 

A representative for DHM Research, an independent research firm based in Portland, appeared at the work session via video. He said his team surveyed 300 Springfield voters in April via phone call and text and found that voters lean toward supporting the levy increase. 

Among other findings, the researchers discovered that more than half of the voters surveyed say the city is headed in the right direction. 

“Why does all this matter?” asked Tony Iaccarino, senior research manager at DHM Research. “Positivity about the direction of the city often correlates with support for ballot measure referrals that city leaders are presenting to voters.”

According to the firm’s results, 85 percent of respondents said they were either very satisfied (57 percent) or somewhat satisfied (28 percent) with the city’s fire and rescue services. 

After providing survey respondents with basic information about the new fire levy, 56 percent said they would support the increase, according to the researchers’ findings. 

Among the information presented to voters who were surveyed was the average cost of the levy. The average county-assessed value of a home in Springfield is $189,000, according to the information provided. This means the levy would cost the average household $100 a year for five years, an increase of about $28 annually.

Next steps

Following the DHM Research presentation, councilors unanimously agreed to move forward with the increased rate. 

City Councilor Victoria Doyle mentioned prior support by voters for road and police bonds as her reason for feeling comfortable presenting residents with the levy increase. 

“Historically, people in Springfield seem to be very supportive of services like fire and roads,” Doyle said. 

Councilor Alan Stout said he was influenced by the work of the Springfield Mayor’s Fiscal Stability Task Force, which, among other recommendations for balancing the city’s budget, suggested in a recent report to increase current police and fire levies to cover intended costs. 

Bell said his office would draft a ballot title and resolution, which will go up for adoption at a council regular session on June 16, at which time a public hearing on the issue will also take place. 

If the resolution is adopted then, the levy will appear on the ballot this November, with the levy taking effect on July 1, 2026.