Hubbard Fire Chief Michael Kahrmann stands by a row of turnouts used by firefighters at the department. The levy, in addition to retaining staff, would also fund upgrades to aging firefighting equipment like the older turnouts. (Jaime Valdez/Woodburn Independent)

Marion County voters will once again weigh in on a levy for the Hubbard Fire District during the May 20 special district election.

The proposed operations levy would replace the district’s expiring 99-cent per $1,000 assessed value levy with a $1.10 rate. An 11-cent increase, but one that Fire Chief Michael Kahrmann says is vital to keeping the station staffed around the clock.

“If the levy fails, the station potentially wouldn’t be staffed with career members,” Kahrmann said.

What exactly does that hypothetical mean? If the levy fails, there will be no more paid firefighters staffed 24/7 at the station, and firefighting duties will be left predominantly up to the district’s volunteer firefighters. Currently, Hubbard Fire has four paid career firefighters and 35 volunteers.

“The first thing people would notice is probably a big delay,” Kahrmann said. “Right now, we get out the door within 60 seconds, and then it’s just the drive time to the call. But if you’re looking at five to seven minutes for volunteers to get to the station and then a five to seven minute drive time to where that call actually is, you’re looking at potentially a 15-minute delay.”

The Hubbard Fire District covers just under 7 square miles and provides all-hazards response, from structure fires and medical calls to hazmat incidents and motor vehicle accidents. The district also assists surrounding areas like Canby, Woodburn and Molalla.

Hubbard firefighters have hosted an open house and gone door to door in an effort to spread awareness about the levy.

“I think people understand what’s on the line and really understand like, hey, like we’re not proposing a whole other dollar and 10 cents per thousand, this is replacing the previous 99 cents,” he said. “So it’s just a very small increase and it should be buying peace of mind for the citizens of Hubbard for the next five years.”

The levy would also fund upgrades to aging firefighting and medical equipment. For example, turnout gear, the suits firefighters wear into burning buildings, have about a 10-year lifespan and cost around $6,500 per firefighter.

“We would also use it to update our medical equipment, to buy new hoses, and then whatever else may be needed that would come up in that, during that five years,” Kahrmann said.

The district’s volunteer firefighters are also rallying behind the levy, recognizing how its passage would sustain both staffing and resources.

“The volunteers have really stepped up to advocate for the levy because they know what’s at stake for them: It’s the training that’s provided, and having the proper equipment to respond to calls,” Kahrmann said. “The career members can’t run the calls without the volunteers and the volunteers really can’t run the calls without the career members, so they rely a lot on each other to be able to get the job done.”

Beyond emergency response, Kahrmann stressed the importance of the district’s prevention programs. He helps lead initiatives like fire inspections for local businesses and a smoke detector installation service for community safety. According to Kahrmann, all of these prevention services will go away if the levy fails.

While nearby districts like Aurora have seen initial levy rejections before succeeding in later elections, Kahrmann said no plans are yet in place for a backup campaign. He anticipates the district’s board of directors would consider a second attempt in the November election if the May measure fails.

Ballots for the May special election began being mailed out April 30.