Bigfork voters OK fire levy

Bigfork voters on Tuesday overwhelmingly approved a mill levy providing long-term funding for the Bigfork Fire Department and QRU.

According to Flathead Election Office Manager Monica Eisenzimer, the Bigfork fire mill levy passed with a vote of 771 to 371. About 44 percent of voters in the district cast their ballots, with around 1,200 of the 2,800 ballots sent out returned.

“The voters of Bigfork have spoken, and they have determined that this is important and they wish for this service to continue,” said Bigfork Fire Chief Mark Thiry. “We are grateful for their support, and we are going to do our best to continue working as hard as we can to provide that service that they’re requesting.”

The non-expiring mill levy will add an additional $350,000 to the department’s annual budget.

That money, according to Thiry, will allow the department to meet its staffing quota while paying employees a fair wage.

It will also provide for the eventual replacement and update of equipment and vehicles as they age, and will provide for the continuation of 24/7 ambulance response.

Thiry said he also hopes the levy will allow the department to institute a second ambulance during the summer season when call volumes peak.

“This demonstration of support from the people of the community tells me that they do value the services that we’re providing,” Thiry said.

Homeowners in the Bigfork Fire District will see an annual increase of $20.25 for every $100,000 assessed market value of their home per year. That translates to about $40 per year for a home worth $200,000.

Prior to Tuesday’s vote, the department was operating on a volunteer-base budget despite its progressive transition to a paid workforce following the merging of the QRU and fire department in 2010.

Ranked fourth in the county for call volume, the Bigfork Fire District was handling the strain of a city on the budget of a nonprofit, a model that Thiry said would have likely drained the department’s resources over the next three or four years.

Now, Thiry said, the department will gain the resources needed to sustain the level of service both the firefighters and paramedics provide to the Bigfork community year-round and for years to come.