CANYON COUNTY, Idaho — The Parma Rural Fire Protection District is asking voters to approve a temporary property tax levy to help address staffing shortages, improve its facilities and eventually replace aging fire trucks.
The measure on the November 3 ballot would allow the district to raise an additional $1 million per year in 2027 and 2028, for a total of $2 million over two years.
If approved, the levy would cost an estimated $91.06 per year for every $100,000 of taxable assessed property value, based on current conditions.
Fire Chief Joe Rodgers says competitive wages are a major challenge as the district tries to keep experienced employees.
“They can go down to Jackson’s just down the street and make four, five, six dollars more an hour than what we’re paying them,” Rodgers said.
Rodgers says the department has lost employees around previous levy elections, with three more leaving since May. He says the turnover makes it difficult to retain experienced firefighters and emergency medical technicians.
“We’re just trying to be competitive,” Rodgers said. “I know it’s hard to compete against the bigger cities, but at least we’re trying to retain the people that we have.”
The district typically has four people on staff each day: one paramedic and three firefighter EMTs. Rodgers says most of the department’s calls are medical emergencies.
WATCH: Parma fire district looks to retain staff with proposed levy
Additional funding could help the district add another person to its daily crew, allowing three people to staff an engine and two to staff an ambulance.
“We’d love to have five on staff,” Rodgers said. “That way we can have three in an engine, two on an ambulance.”
The proposed levy would also help pay for station improvements and the eventual replacement of older fire trucks. Rodgers says one of the district’s trucks dates back to 1996.
“Just hoping with a little added income, we can at least start replacing some of the stuff that we’ve neglected for quite a few years,” he said.
Parma-area residents shared mixed perspectives on the proposed levy. Those who responded did not want to appear on camera.
Some residents shared positive experiences with the department’s response times and the care they received from first responders. They said the crew deserves additional funding.
Others raised concerns about the added cost to taxpayers and questioned whether Parma and Canyon County could share emergency medical services.
Rodgers says keeping employees is important to maintaining emergency services for the community.
“The community needs us, and we need people to stay because if everybody left, there wouldn’t be anybody here for the community,” he said.
Voters will decide on the temporary override levy which will need a simple majority to pass during the November 3, 2026, general election.
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