Voters who live in unincorporated areas of Santa Fe County can cast ballots today on whether to impose a quarter-cent hike in the gross-receipts tax rate to benefit the county Fire Department.

Polling places are open from 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. at consolidated precincts.

The sole ballot question is the Fire Protection Excise Tax, which fire Chief Stan Holden says is necessary to continue emergency medical and fire protection services for the unincorporated areas.

Holden said the county is eight years behind schedule in replacing equipment. The revenue is also needed to build new fire stations in Rancho Viejo and Glorieta, and living-quarters additions to existing buildings in Pojoaque and La Tierra.

"We hope the voters say yes," Holden said, "but we have been told that (as county officials) we can do nothing to promote the election."

A total of 37,803 registered voters who live outside the city limits of Santa Fe, Española and Edgewood and are eligible to vote.

The tax would add 25 cents on a $100 taxable transaction and would take effect July 1, 2010, with no expiration date. The money can be used only for firefighting equipment and other capital expenditures such as fire stations.

Voters agreed to increase the gross-receipts tax rate for all county residents in the name of public safety in 2006, and the County Commission then allowed the fire excise tax that had been place for the unincorporated parts of the county to expire.

Jim Bohlander, county Republican Party chairman, said the county — which has increased its total budget by 150 percent in five years — should make better choices in its spending instead of putting the burden on recession-weary taxpayers.

"We see no reason the county can't live within its means and find the funding within their current budget," he said, adding later, "The best resolution for everybody would be if the County Commission would call off this election and fund this as a designated capital commitment for the next couple of years."

Only residents of unincorporated Santa Fe County are eligible to vote.

Polling site, precincts

Agua Fría Community Center: 31, 66, 67, 80

Benny J. Chavez Center: 3, 4

Capshaw Middle School: 37, 54, 81

Edgewood Elementary: 18, 73, 84, 85

El Rancho Community Center: 5

Eldorado Elementary: 63, 65, 69, 71

Elks Lodge 460: 48, 55

Fort Marcy Complex: 9, 10

Galisteo Community Center: 17

Glorieta Fire Station: 57

Gonzales Elementary: 11

Hondo Fire Station No. 2: 13, 68

La Cienega Community Center: 12, 62

Nambé Head Start: 23, 61, 87

Pojoaque Middle School: 59, 60

San Ildefonso Pueblo: 40

Santa Fe County Fair Building: 29, 38, 56, 78

Sombrillo Elementary: 1, 2, 79

South Mountain Elementary: 15, 16

St. Joseph's Parish Hall: 72

Stanley Community Center: 19

Sweeney Elementary: 64, 75, 86

Tesuque Elementary: 7, 8

Tesuque Pueblo Intergenerational Center: 6

Turquoise Trail Elementary: 14, 70

Unity Church of Santa Fe: 82, 83

For specific voting information or questions, call the Santa Fe County Clerk at 986-6280.