On Tuesday, Nov. 7, Caldwell residents will be asked if they want to fund a $17.3 million bond to build two new fire stations.
The bond would go towards rebuilding and expanding Fire Station One, located in downtown Caldwell. It would also fund the construction of a new station located on the Karcher corridor where the city is anticipating a lot of growth.
City officials report 13,000 new residents have been added and 4,300 new structures built since the last fire station went up in 2018.
“Part of the challenges that come with growth is increased population and increased calls for service,” said Fire Chief Rick Frawley, adding Caldwell Fire currently has 59 firefighters on staff and its busiest station responds to about 15 calls per day. He said it’s been a challenge to respond to more than one emergency at a time.
“We've seen a 35% increase in our call volume in the community in the last five years. Our firefighters are the busiest firefighters when you look at call volume versus numbers of firefighters in the state of Idaho,” he said.
In a news release, the City of Caldwell said the projected cost to homeowners based on a $374,000 median home value would be about $3 per month. Only Caldwell residents will see the measure on their ballots. Two thirds of voters need to approve the bond for it to pass.
Find more 2023 Election information here.
