Vote YES by May 19
The Columbia 9-1-1 Communications District is the only provider of emergency dispatch in Columbia County. There is no backup. There is no alternative. When someone dials 9-1-1, this is the system that answers. This levy keeps it running—at the same rate voters approved before.
Save 9-1-1.
Protect Columbia County.
If this levy fails, 53% of the District’s operating budget disappears. Emergency funds will be depleted. Staff will be let go. 9-1-1 calls will go unanswered for longer. Systems will eventually break down with no path to replacement.
What Happens If We Don’t Act?
Same Rate
This is a 5-year levy at $0.29/$1,000. This is the same tax rate that Columbia County voters approved before.
Calls Have Doubled
Emergency calls for service have more than doubled in the past 10 years. The need is growing, not shrinking. The loss of funding if this levy fails will endanger our already overworked emergency responders.
53% of the Budget
Without this levy, nearly half the operating budget disappears—threatening staffing, equipment, and response times.
No Backup
Columbia 9-1-1 is our sole provider for emergency response. No neighboring county can absorb the call volume. There is no alternative.
“There is no backup. There is no Plan B. Every second counts in an emergency, and this levy is what keeps those seconds from turning into minutes.”
Columbia County voters created the Columbia 9-1-1 Communications District in 1989 and the original operating levy in 1998. Voters have supported the levy renewal four times–2003, 2008, 2013, and 2018. And right now the District needs our support to keep us and our first responders safe.
This Is Your System
The People Behind the Calls
Staffing shortages and burnout are real challenges facing Columbia 9-1-1. Dispatchers work long hours under intense pressure. When positions sit vacant, the remaining staff absorb the workload. Funding uncertainty makes it nearly impossible to recruit and retain qualified people.
This levy provides the stability needed to maintain adequate staffing so that when your call comes in, someone is there to answer it.
“You can’t fix staffing shortages by cutting the budget.”
Reform–Not Defund–9-1-1 Service
New Leadership
Jeremy Hipes was hired as Executive Director in August 2025, bringing extensive 9-1-1 management experience from Clatsop County, where he negotiated a deal that saved nearly $300,000 in taxpayer money in radio equipment costs. He was brought in specifically to reform, increase transparency, and lead the District forward.
Same Rate
This levy is at the exact same rate voters approved before: $0.29 per $1,000. For a home assessed at $300,000, that’s $87 a year or $7.25 a month. The District is not asking for more, even with significant recent increases in call volume. Instead, the District has heard from taxpayers and has tightened its belt and is asking to simply restore what voters previously authorized.
Columbia County’s Public Safety Leaders Agree:
Financial support is essential to “fix our outdated and failing system.”
Click to read the letter signed by nine police and fire chiefs representing agencies across Columbia County.
Proudly Endorsed by the
Columbia County Fire Defense Board
Take Action Now
$87 a year. $7.25 a month. That’s the cost of keeping 9-1-1 available when you or your family needs it most.