GRESHAM, Ore. — In less than two weeks, Gresham voters will decide on whether to approve a five-year levy that would boost the ranks of first responders. The proposal makes some key changes from another similar ballot measure that failed last year.
On Thursday, firefighters hosted an open house at Station 74 to give the public a chance to learn and see up-close what firefighters currently have — and what they currently lack.
"The city of Gresham‘s population has grown significantly over the years, while we have the same number of firefighters that we have every day since 1990," said Kevin Larson, president of Gresham Fire's union. "We have not grown to keep up with call volume or the population."
Larson hopes that the community will understand the growing need to retain positions and increase staffing.
"We are pretty much at a breaking point and we need help. We’re hoping the community will come out and say we want to invest in public safety," he said.
The measure would cost $1.35 per $1,000 of assessed property value. The owner of a home assessed at $200,000 would pay about $25.65 per month or about $308 per year, according to the city.
In addition to funding 13 new firefighters — which would improve response times and add a new rescue truck to Gresham's busiest fire station — the proposed levy would fund nine new sworn police officers.
"We are behind the eight ball. We're trying to catch up," said Sgt. Matt Galbreath, president of the Gresham Police Officers Association. "This levy is still well below standards for delivery...I think we can get there. I think the community can do this, but they have to want to do it."
In 2023, voters rejected a similar levy, which also included funding for homeless services as part of the proposal. The new levy focuses solely on public safety.
"They had it before them a year ago," Galbreath said. "The value of that was changed from $1.50, and it was lessened to hopefully get a yes vote, because the need is realistic and the need for the police department is exponential."
Both unions say they fear the consequences for both departments, should voters deny funding.
"The fire department, the police department — we want to be able to serve, but we only have so many resources to dedicate to that," Galbreath said.
"We want to be the fire department that responds - and minutes matter," said Larson, "It's really important that we get there."
The city of Gresham has a thorough Q&A page on its website.