The Higgins Area Fire Protection District may soon see if the fourth time is the charm. District Board member Marty Main, who helped form a Strategic Planning Committee about two years ago, says they’re considering placing another assessment increase on the ballot sometime this year….

Main says the district has had to rely on grants in the past, which have not provided a stable funding base. After the most recent measure failed, in 2015, only one station ended up staying open year-round, on Combie Road, and half of the full-time firefighting staff was laid off, or six personnel. Main says the two-thirds approval requirement has been a major barrier to passage…

The Strategic Planning Committee is comprised of two board members, including Main, three members of the public, and various staff members. And they’re now recruiting a member from the Dog Bar/Magnolia Road area, to replace a vacant position. The committment would be for one year. The committee meets once a month. The application deadline is February 19th, with the selection scheduled to be made at the Board of Directors meeting on February 20th.