Endorsement: Yes to increase taxes for Fox River & Countryside Fire/Rescue District

Faced with the expectation that ever-rising charges to contract with St. Charles for service would soon leave it insolvent, the Fox River & Countryside Fire/Rescue District severed ties with St. Charles in 2010 and set out on its own. The move gave the district a brief reprieve, but the outcome of an April 4 referendum could be its defining moment.

District officials themselves say insolvency is again knocking at the door, even as their fire equipment ages, they've cut staff and shifted resources to rely more on part-time rather than full-time staff and they keep losing their best-qualified firefighters and emergency personnel to higher-paying districts nearby.

Many of the present hardships came as district leaders employed any cost-saving option they could find after taxpayers overwhelming refused a tax increase in 2015. Now, they say, they've run out of alternatives, and without the tax increase they're seeking April 4, they'll be staring at making more safety-endangering cuts and possibly eventually dissolving the agency.

Money troubles invariably lead to discord in an organization and Fox River & Countryside's leadership has had its share of controversy in the past two years. But, the measure they've presented looks to the future and must be evaluated outside of politics.

It asks for nearly double the current tax levy. That's not insignificant, of course. It will mean an increase of $300 a year to the owner of a $300,000 home, according to officials. But that pales in comparison to the alternative for taxpayers if the district dissolves. In that case, fire and rescue services for residents of the district would have to be absorbed by neighboring communities - and that could mean much greater increases, as much as 300 percent, officials estimate.

So, the choice for voters comes down to this: Increase taxes to support a fire district that is adequately staffed and equipped to assure safety or face the prospect of turning to some other town for service at far higher cost. The answer seems clear to us. We recommend a yes vote to generate $2.5 million - and some financial stability - for the Fox River & Countryside Fire/Rescue District.