SUN LAKES  — The Arizona Fire & Medical Authority has announced key dates leading up to the Nov. 4, $22.9 million bond proposal election for voters in the South County Fire & Medical District.

The bond, known as Proposition 408, would authorize funding for emergency response vehicles, medical equipment, station renovations, and capital infrastructure and will appear on the Nov. 4 special election ballot, according to a news release.

If the bond is approved, proceeds would be used for the replacement of aging fire engines and ambulances, upgrades to equipment like cardiac monitors and CPR devices, facility improvements, cancer prevention infrastructure, and construction of joint-use facilities. 

The estimated average annual tax rate for the proposed bond is $0.27 per $100 of net assessed limited property value. This would be an annual AFMA tax total of $1,080 for a home with a tax valuation of $400,000.

The South County Fire & Medical District is a member of the Arizona Fire & Medical Authority, which operates under a shared services model with two other fire districts.  This model is designed to reduce administrative costs by consolidating operations, while each district retains full control over its individual budget, tax rate and service levels.

South County Fire & Medical District voters are encouraged to visit two upcoming open houses to learn more about AFMA, tour the facilities, and get their questions answered about Proposition 408.

The first open house will take place on Aug. 30 at a station in Tonopah.  The second open house will take place Saturday, Sept. 13, 10 a.m. to noon, at Fire Station 341 (formerly 231), 25455 S. Sun Lakes Blvd., Sun Lakes.

AFMA also announced several important election dates: The deadline to register to vote in the upcoming election is Monday, Oct. 6.

This is an all-mail election, which means ballots will be mailed out to all registered voters on Wednesday, Oct. 8.

Tuesday, Oct. 28 is the last recommended day to mail back a completed ballot, and all ballots must be received by the Maricopa County Elections Department by 7 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov.  4.

A completed ballot may be mailed back or dropped off at any voting location or ballot drop box.  Find voting locations and drop boxes at Locations.Maricopa.Vote.

Voters who need a replacement ballot can call Maricopa County Elections at 602-506-1511 before 5 p.m. on Oct. 24.

For more information, voters can visit afma.az.gov/prop408.

The Arizona Fire & Medical Authority is a full service, all-hazard fire and rescue agency providing services from 12 stations.  The authority covers about 400 square miles and serves almost 90,000 residents within its three member districts: North County Fire & Medical District, South County Fire & Medical District, and Buckeye Valley Fire District.

The South County Fire & Medical District serves over 20,000 residents in Sun Lakes and Tonopah Valley.   Over the last 12 months, AFMA has responded to nearly 5,000 calls in this area — 89% of which were emergency medical or rescue.

We invite our readers to submit their civil comments on this topic. Email AZOpinions@iniusa.org.