Reliable Emergency Response, Prepared for Every Call, Protecting the Place We Call Home

Vote by November 3, 2026.

November 3, 2026 Property Tax Rate Proposal

Protecting lives and property takes preparation—trained professionals, dependable equipment and fire stations ready to respond every hour of every day.

The Frankfort Fire Protection District has placed an operating property tax rate proposal on the November 3, 2026, ballot. The proposal would provide additional funding for fire, rescue and emergency medical services.

Funding would be used to:

• Add firefighter/paramedics to fully staff fire trucks and ambulances

• Provide up-to-date life-saving technology and training

• Maintain competitive salaries and benefits to recruit and retain first responders

• Replace aging fire trucks, ambulances and other emergency equipment

• Repair and update fire stations and facilities

Why Is the District Bringing This Proposal Forward Now?

The District has not asked voters for additional operating revenue since 2000. Since then, emergency call volume has nearly doubled while firefighter/paramedic staffing has remained almost the same. At the same time, costs for personnel, vehicles, equipment, insurance and facilities have increased.  Today, FFPD does not have enough firefighter/paramedics on duty to fully staff both an ambulance and a fire truck at every station at the same time. Additionally, understaffing can delay rescue and firefighting efforts when firefighters arrive without a fully staffed truck. 

The District is currently facing several challenges:

• More emergency calls: Call volume has increased significantly while staffing has not kept pace. Emergency calls in the Frankfort Fire Protection District have nearly doubled since 2005, while firefighter/paramedic staffing has stayed almost the same.

• Staffing needs: The District does not currently have enough first responders on duty to staff fire trucks and ambulances at the levels needed to meet emergency service demands. FFPA does not meet National Fire Protection Association staffing standards. None of our stations are fully staffed. 

• Aging vehicles and equipment: The District is behind its replacement schedule. Since 2000, the cost of a new fire engine has increased 233%, and a new ambulance has increased 166%. Aging ambulances increase the possibility of a critical failure while driving to an emergency or transporting a patient. If approved, the referendum would authorize the replacement of three ambulances and one fire engine.

• Facility needs: The District's five fire stations range from 15 to 49 years old and have needs involving roofs, HVAC systems, infrastructure and aging technology.

The District has used cost-saving measures, including purchasing used fire engines and repairing vehicles rather than replacing them. However, these efforts have reached their limit and can no longer sustain operations. Additional revenue is necessary to avoid delaying essential staffing, training, vehicle, equipment and facility needs.

This spring, we launched Your Voice Counts When Seconds Matter, a District-wide community engagement program. More than 750 residents participated and shared what they expect from their fire protection district and what they believe should be priorities for the future.

What we heard from residents helped shape the plan to address staffing, strengthen emergency response and better meet the needs of our community.

After considering the District’s needs and the community feedback received through this process, the Board placed the operating tax rate proposal on the November 3 ballot for voters to decide.

A fire, heart attack, car crash or child who cannot breathe are emergencies where families count on help arriving quickly. Emergency calls in the District have nearly doubled since 2005, while firefighter/paramedic staffing has remained almost the same. Maintaining reliable fire, rescue and emergency medical services requires having enough trained personnel available to respond when seconds matter.

Reliable Emergency Response

Fire, rescue and emergency medical services are an important part of community safety, quality of life and the protection of lives and property.

The cost of providing these services has changed significantly since the District last received voter approval for additional operating revenue in 2000. The District has used cost-saving measures to extend the life of existing resources, including purchasing used fire engines and repairing ambulances rather than replacing them.

Additional funding would be used to address staffing, training, vehicle, equipment and facility needs as emergency call volume continues to increase.

How will the proposal appear on the ballot?

The Frankfort Fire Protection District is asking voters to approve a change to the property tax rate used to fund fire protection and ambulance services. The proposal will appear on the November 3 ballot as follows. The format and language of the proposal are written as required by election law.  

Ballot Language:
Shall the limiting rate under the Property Tax Extension Limitation Law for the Frankfort Fire Protection District, Will and Cook Counties, Illinois, be increased by an additional amount equal to 0.325% above the limiting rate for fire protection and ambulance purposes for levy year 2025 and be equal to 1.0481% of the equalized assessed value of the taxable property therein for levy year 2026?

Voting Information & Questions

• Remember to Vote by November 3, 2026.

• Additional information, including Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ), can be found here.

• Voting information, including registration and election details, is available through the Will County Clerk's Office.