Voters approved the Boone County Fire Protection District's $8 million bond issue during Tuesday's municipal election.
The bond issue passed with 82.9% of the vote; 5,125 voted yes, and 1,051 voted no.
The Fire District will use about $5 million to build a new Station 8 to serve the Rock Bridge area south of Columbia. The station will be built on property immediately south of the existing Station 8. The Fire District bought that land with proceeds of a bond issue approved in 2021.
Jim Spain, MU's vice provost for undergraduate studies, was among those who supported the ballot measure.
"We certainly want to support the Boone County Fire District so that those folks have the resources they need to adequately serve the community," Spain said. "We all need to be involved in this democracy, and it's important that everyone's voices be heard through this process of voting."
Kenneth Terry, who drives for a local freight company, also cast a yes vote.
"I'm going to vote on the fire district to give them some more money so they can have what they need to do their job," he said.
In addition to a new Station 8, the Fire District will also use money from the bond issue to buy new equipment. That includes $2 million for a new fire engine and two new 1,500-gallon fire tanker trucks and $1 million for new thermal imaging cameras for every fire engine, fire tanker and rescue squad, as well as new battery-powered vehicle extrication equipment for each fire engine.
Station 9 at Midway and Station 10 in Centralia will receive new equipment.
Bill Watkins, former Columbia city manager and current Fire District board member, was pleased with Tuesday's result.
"Thanks to the voters for their continued vote of confidence," Watkins said. "We will continue to do what we said we do. I think I speak for the entire organization when we say we're excited about the next two years because of the vote."