The Cary Fire Protection District Board of Trustees is considering closing a fire station and charging $900 for ambulance service after a ballot measure failed last week.
Fire board members said Monday they will ask voters again in November for more money and would cut spending if they don’t get it.
Cuts could include closing the fire station on Crystal Lake Avenue, cutting hours of part-time firefighters and increasing the cost of ambulance service to $900 from $375.
About 26,000 people live in the 18.5-square-mile Cary-area district.
The ballot measure failed by 69 votes.
Board members said Monday they have no choice but to ask again for permission to levy up to 30 cents more taxes per $100 in equalized property valuation.
Board members said they were required to ask for 30 cents under state law but probably would collect 15 cents, which would bring in $700,000 more. The district now levies 27 cents and collects $1.7 million a year.
The district also is losing money on uncollected charges for ambulance service. The district has billed $174,000 this fiscal year but has collected $68,000.
Board members said they would consider sending debts to a collection agency.
“We’re going to have to start getting tougher and make people pay,” said board member Ron Raupp.
