Voters in the Braidwood Fire Protection District narrowly approved a property tax increase during Tuesday's general election, with unofficial results showing 1,633 yes votes to 1,297 no votes — a margin of just 336 votes out of 2,930 ballots cast. The referendum asked residents to approve a 32-cent operating tax increase that fire officials say is needed to address staffing shortages and replace aging equipment.
The results, which remain unofficial with all precincts reporting, showed yes votes making up nearly 56 percent of the total and no votes about 44 percent, according to WSPYnews.com. Braidwood Fire Chief Chris Jude, speaking in an interview with WCSJ radio, said the tax increase would help address additional staffing needs and provide funding for fire equipment.
A District Stretched by Growth
The Braidwood Fire Protection District covers Braidwood, Custer Park and Godley, and district officials say demand on its crews has climbed sharply as the area has grown. The district's call volume has doubled over the past 25 years amid population growth and increased commercial development, per the same account from Shaw Local. In 2025 alone, the district responded to 2,239 calls — more than double its total from 2010, Jude told The Center Square.
Rising equipment costs have compounded the strain. Jude said a fire engine that cost about $650,000 in 2018 ran roughly $1.1 million by 2025, while ambulance prices climbed from about $245,000 to $450,000 over the same stretch, according to The Center Square's report for Cities 92.9. The district has estimated it will need $3.7 million over the next five years just to replace aging equipment.
How the Proposal Took Shape
The ballot measure traces back to the district's Planning for a Safer Future initiative, which examined staffing levels, the need for more full-time firefighter/paramedics, and long-term funding stability, according to the Braidwood Fire Protection District. Those recommendations were presented to the district's Board of Trustees in July 2026, and the board voted on July 21 to place the 32-cent property tax increase proposal on the Nov. 3 ballot.
District leaders have said the additional revenue would go toward hiring more full-time firefighters, raising salaries, and replacing aging vehicles and equipment, per Shaw Local's reporting. Under the current tax rate, the district collects $2,819,468 annually in property taxes; the new rate is expected to raise that to $5,262,549, according to the Shaw Local report. The increase would raise the district's limiting tax rate from 0.3693% to 0.6893%, per the Cities 92.9 report.
What It Means for Homeowners
Estimates of the actual cost to homeowners have varied across local reporting. Shaw Local reported that fire officials estimated the increase would add about $212 per year, or roughly $6 per week, in taxes on a $300,000 home. The Center Square's account, however, cited a district estimate that a $300,000 fair-market-value home would see an additional $320 annually before exemptions, or about $6.15 per week. Neither figure has been reconciled in available reporting.
With the referendum's passage, the Braidwood Fire Protection District is now positioned to move forward with the staffing and equipment investments officials have said are overdue, following a campaign that leaned heavily on the district's rising call volume and escalating equipment costs to make its case to voters.
