CHELAN — Chelan voters rejected a levy that would have beefed up response to the south shore of Lake Chelan in Fire District 7.

58.26 percent of voters denied the proposed action, which would have lifted a levy lid by 18 cents, from 98 cents to $1.16 per $1,000 of assessed property valuation. It would have funded construction of two new stations on the south shore. One would be near the Lake Chelan Yacht Club and the other near Pat and Mike’s store.

“This would allow us to fill first and second alarms from our immediate areas so we’re not constantly draining the whole district to go to a call,” said Fire Chief Tim Lemon earlier this fall.

If it was approved, the district would have issued a 20-year bond to immediately fund the construction, along with equipment purchases. The additional 18 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation would have payed off the $3 million in bonds.

The money would have also payed for a brush truck and a pumper tender at each of the new stations, which would have been staffed by volunteers, Lemon said. It would have retired leases on a fire truck and a brush truck, and a tender at the station near the Chelan Airport and a tender at the Chelan Falls station. The existing 1987 vehicles there were water trucks converted to tenders and do not have the pump capacity of new tenders.

Currently, the district has 18 months left on a lease for a facility on the south shore that is being used as a temporary station, Lemon said.

The measure required a simple majority vote.