Prop. FIRE is a ballot proposal being put before voters on the Nov. 5 election ballot. If approved, it will provide funding to protect our emergency services and enable the Cottleville Fire Protection District to:
- Maintain the level of emergency services and response times currently provided,
- Continue to hire and retain highly qualified firefighters,
- Maintain and provide up-to-date equipment and gear for EMS, firefighting and rescue,
- Replace firefighter gear that contains coatings now linked to cancer, and
- Maintain training opportunities to keep our firefighters and community safe in ever-changing emergency situations.
Prop. FIRE includes a 12-cent operating tax rate increase, which would cost the owner of a home valued at $300,000 less than $6 per month (or about $2 per month for every $100,000 of home value).
In the last 20 years, our community’s population has almost tripled. Over the past decade, Cottleville’s call volume has increased 49% to a projection of more than 4,600 calls for assistance in 2024. In the last year alone, the call volume rose by 12%. Our costs have increased more than 30%.
Through sound fiscal management, the fire district has risen to meet the demands of our growing community, but our tax revenues have now reached a point where we can no longer keep up. Prop. FIRE will secure our financial future and ensure we have the personnel and resources to keep our community safe and protect our property values.
The fire district’s tax revenues are based on several factors outside the voter-approved tax rate. Beyond rising costs, a state law (known as the Hancock Amendment) requires the fire district to roll back (reduce) its tax rate so that revenues from existing property taxes can only increase by the lesser of the 5% or the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which was 3.4% for 2024. Meanwhile, the cost of firefighting equipment continues to skyrocket. The Hancock Amendment handcuffs fire district revenues and keeps us from being able to keep pace with rising expenses. Revenues grow at a minimal rate and are unable to keep up with fire service related inflation and rising expenses.
Due to continual, required rollbacks, our current operating tax rate is 59.57 cents, whereas a decade ago, our voter-approved operating tax rate was 82.41 cents. This is a decrease of more than 27%. While Missouri’s CPI has increased 22.5% in the last 10 years, the fire district’s tax revenue has only grown 8.66%. We cannot keep up with the cost increases associated with emergency rescue services. Specialized equipment, gear and supplies that keep our firefighters and community safe have more than doubled in cost as shown below:
| Rescue Equipment and Gear | 2015 Cost | 2024 Cost |
|---|---|---|
| Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) | $5,400 | $10,000 |
| Set of Fire Gear | $1,900 | $5,100 |
| Fire Boots | $225 | $611 |
| Helmet | $200 | $500 |
| Nomex Firefighting Hood | $8 | $124 |
| Total | $7,733 | $16,335 |
The Cottleville Fire Protection District protects 38 square miles of St. Charles County, including the entire City of Cottleville and portions of St. Peters, O’Fallon, Weldon Spring, Dardenne Prairie and unincorporated areas.
According to U.S. Census figures from 2010 to 2020, the City of Cottleville alone grew in population by 82% and other areas covered by Cottleville Fire have also experienced noticeable growth. The fire district is home to a growing number of businesses, which bring in an increasing number of visitors, as well as new residential developments and apartments. The additional population, new businesses and increase in visitors are linked to a rise in emergency calls. In the past 10 years, Cottleville Fire has seen a 49% increase in emergency calls, from 3,095 in 2015 to more than 4,000 as of August 2024. The district is on pace to respond to a record number of calls this year.
In addition to this growth, the needs of the community have changed. We have witnessed an increase in the need for emergency medical response, fire response, technical rescues, car accidents and more.
Prop. FIRE includes a 12-cent operating tax rate increase, which would cost the owner of a home valued at $300,000 less than $6 per month (or about $2 per month for every $100,000 of home value). With this increase, Cottleville’s operating tax rate would still remain lower than it has been in the past decade.
Being a first responder to fires and medical emergencies is a physically demanding and dangerous career. New building materials, the presence of hazardous waste and other chemicals found in houses require firefighters to receive ongoing training critical for keeping up with the evolving emergency services field. In addition to these challenges, our first responders are frequently exposed to harmful chemicals at the emergency scene, increasing their risk of cancer— the leading cause of death among firefighters.
To keep our community AND first responders safe, the fire district must regularly update protective gear and other equipment. Well-trained and well-equipped responders can better handle emergencies, ensuring the safety of both themselves and our community.
Firefighters are often exposed to high levels of carcinogens when responding to fires, car accidents and other emergencies. In addition, some protective gear currently in use contains coatings linked to cancer. Studies show that exposure to these dangerous carcinogens can be reduced with updated equipment and the proper use and cleaning of personal protective gear and other equipment.
Prop. FIRE would provide funding that would allow us to continue to replace front-line personal protective gear every five years, and reserve gear every seven years (as recommended by the Firefighter Cancer Alliance).
Prop. FIRE would provide funding to replace protective gear containing cancer-linked coatings, and support ongoing training to prepare our first responders for new challenges. This will help ensure our community remains safe and our first responders are protected.
Firefighters use what is known as PPE or Personal Protective Gear when responding to emergencies. The gear is essential for protecting firefighters while they perform their duties. Costs for equipment and gear skyrocketed over the past decade, making it difficult to keep gear up-to-date with existing revenues. The equipment our first responders need includes:
- Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA): Provides clean air to breathe in smoke-filled or toxic environments.
- Helmet: Protects the head from falling debris, heat, and impacts.
- Turnout/Bunker Gear: A jacket and pants made of fire-resistant materials to protect against heat, flames, and some hazardous chemicals.
- Gloves: Protective gear made from heat-resistant materials to protect the hands from burns and cuts.
- Boots: Sturdy, heat-resistant footwear that protects the feet from sharp objects, chemicals, and extreme temperatures.
- Hood: Firefighting gear made of fire-resistant fabric to protect the neck, ears, and parts of the face not covered by the helmet.
- Eye Protection: Safety goggles or face shields to protect against smoke, debris, and chemicals.
Hearing Protection: Earplugs or earmuffs to protect against loud noises. - PASS Device (Personal Alert Safety System): An alarm system that activates if the firefighter is motionless for a certain period, aiding in rescue operations.
Cottleville Fire strives to remain fiscally responsible, planning ahead for future needs. While the district maintains a regular equipment replacement schedule, increased costs have made it nearly impossible to keep that schedule.
Our firefighters’ turnout gear (the coat, pants and other gear the firefighters wear) must be replaced when it is no longer safe to use due to wear and tear from extreme working conditions. Exposure to harsh chemicals at fire scenes and using gear found to contain PFAS (polyfluoroalkyl substances) that contribute to high levels of cancer place our firefighters at risk. Due to advances in technology in the textiles used to make turnout gear, gear without PFAS is now available and is the goal for all future purchases.
Our firefighters’ Self Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA)s alone have nearly doubled in cost to $10,000 per unit. These are the masks and air tank systems that enable firefighters to breathe and communicate when working a fire. The fire district must be able to purchase new units as wear and tear take their toll on the tanks and other lifesaving equipment.
Like many things, the cost of fire, emergency medical and rescue supplies and equipment continue to rise.
Cottleville has a low turnover rate among its first responders. Our firefighters want to be here, serving our community. Portions of Prop. FIRE would support our continued effort to provide competitive salaries and benefits and be able to hire and retain the most qualified firefighters to serve our community. Other revenues from the proposal will fund updated equipment and ongoing training to ensure our firefighters are well-trained and well-equipped to answer any emergency call.
Cottleville Fire has a long history of balanced budgets and holds a AAA bond rating, the highest rating available. However, the effects of growth and continually rising costs are taking a toll. Our area continues to grow, along with emergency call volumes and operating expenses. If we are unable to secure additional revenues, the fire district will have to make hard decisions about the future of its emergency services, including staffing levels, training opportunities and purchases for rescue equipment and gear. If we are unable to maintain desirable staffing levels, response times could suffer and we may need to rely on neighboring districts to support responding to emergency situations in our district. In addition, our gear will become out of date and pose health and safety issues to our firefighters. Delaying necessary updates will also result in higher expenses in the future.
The fire district is primarily funded through local property taxes.
Our last operating tax increase occurred 12 years ago. The district’s current operating tax rate is 59.57 cents. We have worked tirelessly to be good stewards of our resident’s tax dollars, with plans to make the 2012 tax increase last at least 15, however state regulations and significant increases in operating costs have made this impossible. The state’s Hancock Amendment and Missouri’s new Senior Real Estate Property Tax Relief program passed into state law have severely restricted our revenue growth, preventing us from being able to keep up with the cost of doing business. We’ve stretched as far as we can, based on current and future projections.
The Hancock amendment is a Missouri law limiting the amount of revenue local governments, including fire districts, can collect from property taxes. It was designed to protect taxpayers from excessive tax increases.
The Hancock amendment requires the fire district to roll back (reduce) its tax rate so that revenues from existing property taxes can only increase the lesser of the 5% or the Consumer Price Index (CPI), which was 3.4% for 2024. This means that even if your home's value goes up, your property taxes may not necessarily increase at the same rate.
The Hancock Amendment handcuffs fire district revenues and prevents us from keeping pace with inflation and rising expenses. Revenues grow at a minimal rate, and we are unable to keep up with inflation and rising expenses.
Due to rollbacks required by Hancock, our current operating tax rate is 59.57 cents, whereas a decade ago, our voter-approved operating tax rate was 82.41 cents, a 27% reduction. While Missouri’s CPI has increased 22.5% in the last 10 years, the fire district’s tax revenue has only grown 8.66%.
In summary, the Hancock amendment can impact property taxes in situations where property values increase but the local government's budget does not increase enough to meet the community’s needs. This can lead to the need for higher tax rates for homeowners in order to maintain essential services, such as those provided by the fire district.
The Cottleville Fire Protection District has been proactively planning for the revenue limitations and loss the district will sustain due to the passage of Missouri’s new Real Estate Property Tax Relief program, which became effective with the 2024 tax year.
While qualified residents aged 62 and older won’t be affected by Prop. FIRE, due the new property tax freeze, the district’s revenues will be negatively impacted because the law further limits the funds available to the fire district to pay for increasing operating costs.
Proposition FIRE will appear on the Nov. 5 ballot as follows. The format and language of the proposal are written as required by election law.
In order to keep pace with the rising costs of goods and services related to providing fire protection and emergency medical response, reduced revenue, and rising call volume, shall the board of directors of the Cottleville Community Fire Protection District be authorized to levy an additional tax of not more than twelve cents per one hundred dollars assessed valuation to provide funds for the support of the district?
The Cottleville Fire District protects 38 square miles of St. Charles County. We provide service to all or portions of five different municipalities including the cities of Cottleville, Weldon Spring, Dardenne Prairie, St. Peters, and O’Fallon. We operate out of four fire stations strategically placed throughout our community and employ 53 full-time firefighters divided among three different platoons. Find out more www.cottlevillefpd.org/about-the-cottleville-fire-protection-district.
If you have a question, please contact the fire district at sstephens@cottlevillefpd.org or call 636-447-6655 ext. 8700.
Election Day is Tuesday, Nov. 5. The polls will be open from 6 a.m. to 7 p.m.
All registered voters in the Cottleville Fire Protection District are eligible to vote in this election. A person may vote in any election who:
- Is a citizen of the United States and is at least 18 years old,
- Has been a resident of Missouri and of the fire district for at least 28 days before the election,
- Has registered to vote by 5 p.m. on Oct. 9, and
- Is not registered to vote in another jurisdiction.
You can register to vote any time before 5 p.m., Oct. 9, 2024. Visit www.sccmo.org/410/Election-Authority or call 636-949-7550 for more information.
You can cast an absentee ballot through the St. Charles County Election Authority. Visit www.sccmo.org/447/Absentee-Voting or call 636-949-7550 to find out more.
Additional information is available through the St. Charles County Election Authority. Visit www.sccmo.org/410/Election-Authority or call 636-949-7550 for more information.
Your precinct number and polling location are shown on your voter notification card. Additional information is available through the St. Charles County Election Authority. Visit www.sccmo.org/410/Election-Authority or call 636-949-7550 for details.