Nixa Fire Protection District requests first operational tax increase in over 20 years

NIXA, Mo. — The Nixa Fire Protection District (NFPD) Board of Directors has placed a question on the November 4 ballot, requesting the first operational tax increase in more than 20 years to address staffing shortages and aging equipment needs driven by explosive growth in emergency calls. 

The question would authorize an additional tax of .25 cents per $100 of assessed valuation to provide essential funding for district operations, according to a NFPD press release. 

For the owner of an assessor-appraised home valued at $200,000, this represents an increase of $7.92 per month, which is less than the cost of a typical streaming service subscription. 

"After more than 20 years without an operational tax increase, it's time to ensure our fire protection keeps pace with our community's growth," said Fire Chief Lloyd Walles in the release. 

Walles said emergency calls have increased by 229% since 2006. 

Significant growth creates important need

The release says the district's service demands have far outpaced population growth over the past 18 years.

•Total emergency calls increased 229% – from 1,436 calls in 2006 to 4,725 calls in 2024.  

*Medical emergencies increased 221% – from 874 calls in 2006 to 2,808 calls in 2024.

*Population growth of 38.4% in the same period, meaning emergency calls are growing more than 5 times faster than the population.

The district currently operates with 38 sworn firefighters and three civilian positions, serving over 33,000 residents. 

A concerning 40% turnover rate over the past three years has been driven, in part, by neighboring departments offering salaries that are $10,000 higher than the NFPD annually. 

The release also notes that the NFPD’s last operational tax increase was over 20 years ago in 2003. In that span of time, the district has had a perfect bond project record and success in securing $2.8 million worth of grants. 

Investment in community safety 

This tax levy funding will address essential needs, including competitive salaries, reducing turnover, recruiting firefighters, and retaining experienced personnel.

Community engagement 

The NFPD will host public information meetings in October to provide detailed information about this levy and answer community questions. Meeting dates and locations will be announced on the NFPD Facebook page and the district’s newly updated website soon. 

"We believe in transparency and community engagement," Chief Walles said in the release. "We want every voter to understand exactly how these funds will be used and why this investment is essential for maintaining the high level of emergency services our community has come to expect."