Residents and business owners within the North Tooele County Fire District — Lake Point, Pine Canyon, Erda and Stansbury Park — could see a significant jump in taxes next year if a proposed property tax increase is approved.

The proposed tax increase would raise the fire tax on a $166,000 residence from $29.31 to $73.01, and from $53.29 to $132.74 on a business of the same value.

"We've been running so close to being in the red for so long," said North Tooele County Fire District Board Chairman Harold Betts. "Now we're playing catch up."

Population growth within the last couple of years brings a need for additional funding that simply can't be pushed to the back burner any longer, according to Betts. The fire district also hasn't bought a new fire truck since its inception in October 1987.

"We keep getting new customers," North Tooele County Fire Chief John Gollaher said. "As this happens, our cost goes up, and our wear and tear goes up."

Gollaher says they respond to nearly 650 calls a year.

"When I started 20 years ago, we ran 30 calls," Betts said, chiming in on the changes the district has seen. "And we were busy."

The fire district will use the increase to fund the hiring of one to two new full-time employees, purchase two fire engines (approximately $300,000 each), a heavy rescue truck ($250,000), and a water tender ($275,000).

"Everyone knows the big red truck costs a lot of money, but everything we do costs a lot of money," said North Tooele County Battalion Fire Chief John Stout.

One thing the tax increase will not fund is the building of new stations — Stansbury Park's for example.

"Impact fees are what's building the new Stansbury Park station, not your tax dollars," Betts emphasized.

The total budget for the North Tooele County Fire District is excepted to jump by $423,250, or 185.24 percent — the maximum allowable by state law — should the tax increase go into effect during the fall of 2008.

The North Tooele County Fire District is classified as a combination department — partially paid and partially volunteer. There are currently 48 volunteer firefighters on its roster who answer calls to homes in an area as far west as mile marker 33 on I-80 for fire calls and mile marker 56 for medical calls.

"This increase is necessary to keep up with the growth of the community, to do a good job for our customers and to have the equipment necessary to perform our jobs," Gollaher said.

Jamie Belnap: jamieb@tooeletranscript.com