Wood Dale fire district: More tax revenue needed to 'keep the status quo'

The Wood Dale Fire Protection District is seeking a property tax rate increase to maintain staffing levels, replace aging vehicles, repair its stations and pay for rising administrative costs.

Voters will decide March 17 whether to adopt the proposal, which, if approved, would generate roughly $1.5 million a year in additional revenue for the district that covers Wood Dale and a small part of Itasca.

Fire officials said the decision to pursue the ballot measure was made when it became clear that - despite budget cuts, using reserve money, getting grants and partnering with neighboring districts to reduce costs - the district's operating expenses are going to outpace its ability to generate revenue.

"We're just trying to keep the status quo," Chief James F. Burke Jr. said. "We're not looking to build a new station. We're not looking add more vehicles to the fleet."

The district, which is a separate taxing body from the city of Wood Dale, get roughly 95% of its revenue from property taxes, with the rest coming from ambulance fees.

If the ballot measure is approved, the district's annual property tax revenue will increase to roughly $7.2 million from about $5.7 million.

The owner of a $250,000 home now pays roughly $700 in property taxes to the district. If the tax rate hike is approved, that amount will increase by an estimated $200.

Burke said the district last had a referendum 2002. He said the proposed tax increase would ensure the district has the revenue it needs for another decade.

"The number is probably a tick higher than we would have liked it to be," Burke said. "But we didn't want to come back (to the voters) in three or five years."

If approved, the additional money would allow the district to have eight firefighters working during each of its three shifts. More than 90% of the time, the district has had a "minimum" staffing level of six firefighters per shift between its two fire stations.

Fire officials also would be able to replace aging vehicles. The average age of the fleet is more than 11 years old, and the district is experiencing more breakdowns.

The district has two fire stations that were built in the early 1970s. Both are needed to properly respond to all areas of the district, officials said. But Station 69 at 411 Park Lane needs an estimated $450,000 in repairs.

"That system was designed with the station," Burke said. "It is completely obsolete."

Extra revenue also will help the district pay for rising administrative costs, including insurance and pension contributions.