Vote for Black Butte Ranch fire levy

Black Butte Ranch residents should vote in favor of a five-year levy to sustain the operations of the Black Butte Ranch fire department.

The levy will fund district operations, scholarships for student volunteers, support for the district’s fire equipment reserve fund and, according to Fire Chief Ed Sherrell, perhaps prevent the layoff of a firefighter.

At 90 cents per $1,000 of taxable property a year, that adds up to $360 a year for a $400,000 home.

Nobody likes to see tax bills continue to go up, but fire protection in a place like Black Butte Ranch is a tangible, critical investment. Most residents remember the grim summer of 2002 when the Cache Mountain Fire stormed onto the Ranch and destroyed two homes.

A well-trained crew of dedicated firefighters was critical in keeping a disaster from becoming a catastrophe.

Black Butte Ranch fields a veteran cadre of firefighters, augmented by scholarshipped student volunteers. That scholarship program, which this levy will fund, is a cost-effective way of beefing up the strength of the department in the critical months when fire is a looming danger.

Black Butte Ranch residents know they need the best fire protection they can get in their beautiful yet vulnerable setting. They should mail in their ballots now to ensure that they get it.

Jim Cornelius, News Editor

Author Bio

Jim Cornelius, Editor in Chief

Jim Cornelius is editor in chief of The Nugget and author of “Warriors of the Wildlands: True Tales of the Frontier Partisans.” A history buff, he explores frontier history across three centuries and several continents on his podcast, The Frontier Partisans. For more information visit www.frontierpartisans.com.

• Email: editor@nuggetnews.com
• Phone: 5415499941