Say 'yes' to Roselle fire district

The Roselle Fire Protection District, led by three appointed trustees, makes sure unincorporated residents near Roselle get fire and ambulance service. It now contracts with the village of Roselle for use of its fire department.

Officials for the fire district, funded only with property taxes, says it can't pay its share, so they are seeking more money from voters. The price would be steep for unincorporated DuPage County residents: $250 more in the first year for a $300,000 home, and another $30 or so on top of that in each of the following three years. It'd be less harsh on the Cook County side: $75 for a $300,000 home the first year, and about another $10 added on in each of the three following years.

Fire district officials say they are requesting more than the district needs now so they won't have to come back to ask voters for money again in subsequent elections.

If the tax increase is not approved and the fire district can't pay its bill, Roselle village officials say they "will have no further obligation to provide fire protection and emergency medical services" to the unincorporated residents.

We doubt the Roselle Fire Department would ever ignore a fire, but how it would get paid becomes the question.

The current deal requires the district to pay the village 17.17 percent of the village fire department's 2009 budget. The district's share is $542,562, but it will only collect about $410,000 in property tax revenue.

Without the tax increase, the contract between the village and fire district would end, and it may be up to the state fire marshal and courts to determine who serves the unincorporated resident. Residents may or may not pay more in the end.

Even though a tax increase is a lot to ask right now, we say vote "yes" because it's a matter of life and death.