For the third straight time, the Higgins Fire District’s attempt to pass an increased assessment is going down to defeat. On election night, 58-percent had voted “yes” for Measure V. But it needs two-thirds support, or about 66 and two-thirds percent. The Nevada County Clerk-Recorder’s Office says they have only around 200 ballots left to count. So even if all those ballots were “yes” votes, it would still not reach the approval threshold. With grant money running out, fire district officials say they’ll be forced to close one of their three stations by June of next year and lay off as many as six firefighters if Measure V fails. Chief Jerry Good has declined to comment at this time. He says a statement will likely be released on Thursday. The assessment would have risen from 25 dollars a year to 141 dollars a year. District Public Information Officer Pete Marchinek has stated previously that the cuts would slow response times 10 to 12 minutes.