North Tooele County Fire District board members downsized a proposed 149 percent tax rate hike into a 104 percent increase, passing the measure Thursday despite objections from several residents.

North Tooele County Fire Chief John Gollaher said the reduction was a concession to residents.

“After listening to the public comments, we wanted to try and make it a win-win situation for everyone involved,” Gollaher said.

Approval of the new proposed rate would increase the district’s annual budget from $326,629 last year to $716,618.

Gollaher said decreasing the originally proposed rate also meant reducing his department’s budget. He originally was hoping to hire three new full-time employees but reduced that to two. He also made a cut to the number of new fire trucks the department would buy to replace old trucks.

“Those were things we really wanted,” Gollaher said.

However, residents weren’t placated by the decrease. Some argued that hiring any more full-time employees was excessive, assuming most medical and fire calls that the district was dispatched to occurred after normal business hours, when many volunteers are available to respond. District administrator Casandra Ray disabused residents of that idea, citing department records that showed only 47 percent of the nearly 700 calls the department responds to on an annual basis occurred Monday through Friday between 8 a.m. and 5 p.m.

Other residents questioned why new fire engines were necessary when the district had seemingly functioned fine without them.

Kirk Arnold, a part-time fire district employee over truck maintenance, vouched for the poor condition of two of the district’s pumper trucks.

“One truck dropped a tire rod on SR-36 on the way back from a call,” Arnold said. “These types of things are unacceptable. I was excited for the original proposed rate. I’ll live with the tax rate we have now. We can’t cut any deeper.”

Some residents said cuts should have been made in other areas as well — specifically to the meals, drinks and entertainment and marketing categories of the department’s budget.

“Is this really the time to increase money for district parties?” said Roy Chapman, of Stansbury Park. “District parties are nice but is that really an essential thing to run a department? People are having a hard time paying for basics and you guys want to increase a party budget.”

Chapman was also opposed to an increase in the department’s marketing and education budget, saying that schools and other organizations would understand curtailing public presentations during a difficult economic time.

“These two items aren’t significant,” Chapman said. “But they send a message.”

Battalion Chief John Stout refuted Chapman’s comments by saying the entertainment budget increase was necessary to keep morale high on a 45-member, all-volunteer staff.

“They get no perks,” Stout said. “If we don’t do it, we don’t have a department.”

The new tax increase will raise fire taxes on a home valued at $235,068 from $39.43 to $80.33.

Board member Lonny Steele felt like the increase, although not as high as was originally proposed, was still too high.

“I’m not saying we don’t need an increase, I’m just trying to be more frugal,” Steele said. “We are at an unprecedented time. I’ve had to make adjustments and cuts in my own budget, and I know I’m not the only one.”

Gollaher said he couldn’t do what Steele recommended.

“I’ve already made some cuts and I can’t make anymore,” Gollaher said. “I gave you the best I can give you right now. I’m trying to do what is best for the district and our firefighters. This was the best we could do in trying to make it a win-win.”

Board member Lola Stout felt inclined to vote in support of the increase on account of firefighter safety.

“If these people are volunteering their time we need to keep them safe,” Lola said.

Jamie Belnap: jamieb@tooeletranscript.com