Voters dashed the hopes of Hermiston and Stanfield fire district officials Tuesday by rejecting a measure that would have combined the two districts.
Three local measures were on the ballot Tuesday – one to dissolve the Hermiston Fire District, one to dissolve the Stanfield Fire District, and a third that would have consolidated the two into one district. All three had to pass in order for the two districts to consolidate.
Hermiston voters rejected the measure to dissolve the Hermiston district and to form one consolidated district. As of 12:30 a.m. this morning, there were 2,300 (43.2 percent) votes to dissolve the Hermiston district, and 3,024 (56.8 percent) against it.
Stanfield voters favored the measure, 365 votes for dissolving the Stanfield district, with 319 against it.
Hermiston Fire Chief Scott Stanton said consolidating the two districts would have reduced response times and provided funding for the next two decades. Prior to the vote, Stanton said if the consolidation vote failed, it will result in a decreased level of service.
Stanton was hoping to fully staff a second station.
The district consolidation would have been funded with a proposed property tax rate of $2 per $1,000 of appraised value. For residents within the Hermiston city limits, the rate not have stay changed because of tax compression. Rural residents within the Hermiston Fire District would have seen an increase of 80 cents per $1,000, and Stanfield residents will receive a decrease of 6 cents.
