Willard Fire Protection District proposes $10M bond issue

The Willard Fire Protection District, which oversees 72 square miles of territory, is seeking voter approval for a $10 million bond issue.

The measure, which is slated to appear on the April 4 ballot, would phase in over the next 10 years, according to a news release.

"The Willard area has grown by 16.6% since 2010 and only trails Republic in population growth," officials said in the release of the bond issue proposal.

The bond issue would include a debt service levy increase, said Glenda Smith, administrative assistant to Willard Fire Protection District Chief Ken Scott, via email.

The Willard Fire Protection District has four goals for the funding, according to the release. The district intends to pay off debt, upgrade equipment, replace a 1986 ladder truck and begin exploratory steps toward building a new fire station at the site of the current Willard Police Department station.

The district is an advanced life support-staffed department that responds to multiple types of emergencies, according to the release. The district currently has 16 people who serve an area that spans from Missouri Highway 13 to Elwood, north to Sacville and west toward Ash Grove and Bois D'Arc.