STAR, Idaho — A brand new fire station in Star will keep sitting empty as funding requests failed in Tuesday's election for a fourth time, leaving fire leaders in Star and Middleton to face a tough reality.
WATCH: Star neighbors react to levy failure
Star neighbor, Martin Johnson, has lived in Star for six years and even spent time as a volunteer firefighter. With developments in the city continuing to expand North, he agrees with local fire leaders that there's a need for additional resources.
"We need fire protection. It's gonna be coming to a house near you, maybe your own," Johnson said.
Johnson emphasized the seasonal fire risks facing the community.
"We need more fire protection, especially late summer with grass fires and brush fires," Johnson said.
Despite the wildfire danger, voters in Star and Middleton rejected both fire district levies. Tuesday's election marks the fourth time the requests have failed.
The 2 measures, each calling for $2,225,000 annually, would have paid firefighter wages to staff Star's new Station 55, which is already built but still empty.
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Although majorities of voters supported the measures, votes fell well short of the 66.67% supermajority needed to pass. In Star, 59.49% voted in favor, while 40.51% voted against. In Middleton, 50.79% voted yes, while 49.21% voted no. Both measures required a two-thirds supermajority to pass.
The funding challenges are compounded by state budget restrictions. Fire leaders have said the 8% cap on budget growth declared by House Bill 389 has acted restrictively to cities like Star and Middleton, which have city growth statistics citing a 22% yearly rate.
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Until the fire district can get a levy approved, leaders say they will be unable to employ and train new firefighters.
Some Star neighbors expressed disappointment that the levy failed, but admitted they didn't vote. Others who chose not to vote said they were tired of seeing the same levy on the ballot repeatedly.
However, neighbors like Johnson say avoiding the vote won't eliminate the threat.
"Pretty soon, they're going to jump into residential areas. We have to have extra fire protection here," Johnson said.
There's no word yet on whether the districts will pursue another levy in May, but updates on their plans will be provided by Idaho News 6 as they become available.
