Les Zaitz – Keizertimes
February 25, 2026
Keizer fire officials and their supporters should get an answer within days whether legislators will fund work on a new public safety building for the area.
Action on state budget items is expected to begin in earnest next week as the 2026 session moves towards adjournment Sunday, March 8.
State Rep. Kevin Mannix, a Republican who represents Keizer, has asked the budget committee for $778,000 to buy land and start design of the new facility. The project is a joint effort between the Keizer Fire District and Marion County Fire District 1.
Agency officials anticipate the Mid-Willamette Valley Public Safety and Resilience Center, estimated to cost $17.8 million, would be placed on North River Road between the Keizer city limits and Clear Lake Road. They envision a station not only for fire and medic crews but also to operate as a police training center and emergency operations base.
Construction could start as soon as September if legislators approve initial funding, fire officials say.
A budget subcommittee gave Ryan Russell, Keizer fire chief, and Kyle McMann, the Marion County District 1 chief, a total of two minutes to make their case recently.
But that short appearance was backed up by a packet of support letters, urging legislators to fund the project.
The letters included endorsements from the Keizer City Council and West Keizer, Southeast Keizer and Greater Gubser Neighborhood Associations and homeowners in the Vineyards subdivision in the Clear Lake area.
State Sen. Kim Thatcher, the Republican who represents Keizer, also backed the request.
“This project represents a forward-thinking collaboration between two fire districts to build a single, state-of-the-art facility that will enhance 24/7 Fire and EMS response capabilities, improve interagency cooperation, and serve as a command center for disaster resilience,” Thatcher wrote.
“I am keenly aware of the rapid population growth and increasing 9-1-1 call volumes in this area, which necessitate expanded and modernized emergency response infrastructure,” she wrote.
The Marion County Board of Commissioners cited the partnership between the two neighboring fire services.
“For the first time in Oregon, two adjoining fire districts are working collaboratively to plan and construct a jointly staffed, full-time, career firefighter facility designed from the ground up as a shared operational hub,” the county letter said. “This concept reflects responsible stewardship of taxpayer dollars by consolidating infrastructure, strengthening mutual aid operations already occurring daily, and preparing the region for future growth and evolving emergency response demands.”
The commissioners – Colm Willis, Kevin Cameron and Danielle Bethell – described “this proposal as a rare opportunity for the State of Oregon to support a high-return investment that improves public safety outcomes, strengthens mutual aid capacity, and builds lasting resilience in the Mid-Willamette Valley.”
Marion County Sheriff Nick Hunter wrote in a separate letter that his agency “foresees this resource being utilized for patrol, marine, CRASH, training, community engagement, community corrections, incident management, and a myriad of other operations. Many of these tasks are critical to public safety.”
Russell, the Keizer chief, told Keizertimes by email that “this funding is essential to moving the project forward. If our state request is successful, we intend to make a coordinated request to our federal representatives in or around April.”
He said the team could also return to the Legislature next year to continue pursuing state funding.
“I do not believe the current climate, particularly with voter/tax fatigue, supports a local ask of this size at this time,” the chief said. “My goal is to continue pursuing alternative funding sources, including state and federal funding and grant opportunities, and move the project as far forward as possible without impacting the tax rate of our citizens.”
