SAGLE, Idaho — The Westside Fire District is asking voters to weigh in on a levy override proposal that would allow the district to increase its daily firefighter staffing from one to two personnel on duty, addressing what district leadership describes as a growing gap between service demands and available resources.
Fire Commissioners voted 3-0 to approve a resolution placing the measure on the May 19, 2026 ballot. The proposal comes after a similar measure failed in 2025, and district officials say they have restructured the request based on community feedback in an effort to earn broader public support.
What the Levy Would Cost and Fund
The proposed levy override is set at $67 per $100,000 of assessed property value. District officials note this figure is lower than the 2025 measure that voters rejected — representing a reduction of approximately $24 per $100,000 of assessed value compared to the previous ask.
Notably, the revised proposal strips out a capital expenditure request that had been included in the prior measure. The 2025 ballot item had sought funding for a new fire engine in addition to staffing costs. The current proposal focuses exclusively on operational staffing needs, a change the district says reflects direct input from residents who expressed concerns about the scope and cost of the previous measure.
For a property assessed at $300,000 — near the median range for many homes in the district’s coverage area — the annual cost would amount to approximately $201 under the new proposal. District leadership has framed this as a cost-effective investment in public safety infrastructure compared to the risks of maintaining current single-firefighter daily staffing levels.
The primary goal of the levy is straightforward: ensure that two firefighters are on duty each day rather than one. Fire service standards and safety protocols generally call for personnel to work in pairs when responding to structure fires and other high-risk emergencies, both to protect residents and to ensure firefighter safety. Operating with a single daily firefighter has placed constraints on the district’s ability to respond effectively, particularly as call volumes have increased.
Pressures Behind the Ballot Measure
According to the district’s press release, several converging pressures have strained the Westside Fire District’s budget and operations in recent years. Increased call volume has placed greater demands on existing staff. Aging fire apparatus has led to higher-than-anticipated repair and maintenance costs. The number of available volunteers — long a cornerstone of rural fire service across Idaho and the broader Palouse and northern Idaho region — has been declining. And inflation has consistently outpaced the district’s budget growth, leaving leadership with fewer options to address these challenges through internal reallocation alone.
These factors, taken together, have pushed district commissioners to seek a voter-approved funding mechanism that goes beyond what the standard levy allows under Idaho law. A levy override requires voter approval and permits a taxing district to collect above the standard levy cap, providing a more stable and predictable revenue stream than year-to-year budget adjustments.
The 3-0 commissioner vote to place the measure on the ballot signals unified support among district leadership for the approach. The unanimous decision suggests that after the 2025 defeat, commissioners believe the revised and reduced proposal represents the most responsible path forward for the district’s financial and operational sustainability.
Voters within the Westside Fire District’s boundaries will have the opportunity to weigh in on the measure during the May 19, 2026 election. Property owners and residents are encouraged to review the district’s published information on the levy structure and reach out to district leadership with questions before heading to the polls.
For broader coverage of fire district funding measures and local government issues across the state, readers can follow reporting at Idaho News and the Idaho News Network.
What Comes Next
The levy override measure is scheduled for the May 19, 2026 ballot. Westside Fire District officials are expected to conduct public outreach and informational meetings in the weeks leading up to the election to explain the proposal and answer voter questions. If approved, the additional funding would allow the district to move forward with expanded daily staffing. If the measure fails a second consecutive time, district leadership will face continued pressure to find alternative solutions to its staffing and equipment challenges with existing budget resources.