Warrenton eyes levy to fix fire funding ‘crisis’

Published 10:19 am Monday, July 28, 2025

Warrenton City Commissioners discussed options to properly fund the city’s fire department.

WARRENTON — The Warrenton City Commission is eyeing a potential fire department operations levy to stave off what Commissioner Jessica Sollaccio described as a “crisis.”

Speaking to commissioners during Tuesday’s meeting, Warrenton Fire Chief Brian Alsbury outlined the dire staffing straits the Warrenton Fire Department finds itself in.

“We’re at the point where we’re taxing the volunteers so much with their time, that eventually we’re going to burn them all out,” Alsbury said.

The commissioners were scheduled to discuss the possibility of implementing a water meter fee — based on meter sizes — to provide an additional source of revenue for the fire department. Then, Warrenton City Manager Esther Moberg brought forward the idea of introducing a fire levy to put before voters.

“The range of $350,000 to $450,000 (in revenue) is what we would be looking at if it (the levy) was approved by voters,” Moberg said. “We do, as a city, need more paid staff, and what can we get from a meter rate? Not very much is the answer; it wouldn’t staff even a half time position probably.”

In order to reach $450,000 in revenue, a levy of 55 cents per thousand dollars of assessed home value would be implemented. This means a home valued at $350,000 would be levied approximately $192 annually.

According to Alsbury, the fire department needs funding for nine new staffers in order to meet the needs of the community.

Mayor Henry Balensifer indicated he would be supportive of the levy, provided the fire department clearly outlines where and how the funds will be spent. Balensifer also said timing the levy’s voting date would be critical to ensuring residents approve it.

“I would be supportive of an operations levy, (but) I do think that we have to make sure the timing is right,” Balensifer said. “We don’t want it to compete with (the) police (levy), and we got to make sure that we get this implemented before the school decides to go out for another one (levy).”

City Commissioner Paul Mitchell said he, too, would be supportive of the levy, but believes in the meantime a water meter fee is necessary to provide a stream of revenue to the fire department.

“I am not one normally to want to do anything that raises taxes. But I support this 100% because I believe that the people of this community (would) understand,” Mitchell said. “I think you’re underestimating the amount that you could charge to raise those meter rates in the meantime. I would almost double them.”

Alsbury had prepared two potential water meter fee structures that the city could implement in order to provide revenue for the fire department. The one that most commissioners indicated support for, is the one with higher fees.

The proposed meter fees would only apply to commercial and government structures, not to residential ones. Under the second fee structure commissioners supported, the fees range from $10 per month for a .75-inch meters, to $80 per month for 8-inch meters. This fee structure would generate an estimated $67,800 annually.

Sollaccio said that she supported both a meter fee and a levy.

“We need to act now, this is a crisis,” Sollaccio said.

However, she worried that the proposed meter fee could be a burden on the surrounding schools. Under the fee structure, Warrenton High School and Warrenton Grade School would have to pay $4,800 and $4,320 per year respectively.

“I think it’s an unfair burden to put onto our schools … Considering the current circumstances and the amount of strain that our schools are under,” Sollaccio said. “Walmart and Costco, they can increase their (prices), schools aren’t increasing revenues. They don’t have revenue streams to increase.”

Balensifer disagreed, and pointed out that the city leases space for the Warrenton Community Library from Warrenton-Hammond School District. 

He said he didn’t think that “4,800 bucks a year” would put the school district out of operation, especially considering how much they are charging the city to use the library building.

 “I think everything is going to be fine,” Balensifer said.

According to Moberg’s off-the-top-of-her-head recollection, the city is paying the school district about $28,000 per year to lease the library space.

Balensfier said he will schedule a public town hall to solicit community input on how to fund the fire department and in the meantime the city will look to move forward with the second water meter fee structure.