Tax hikes are never popular in a nation founded on the principal of limited government, but occasionally a sacrifice from taxpayers is necessary.

No better example of this theory are two bond measures in the county on the upcoming elections docket. One measure — sponsored by the Umatilla County Fire District No. 1 — will ask voters to fund a 20-year bond package to raise $13.1 million. The measure, if passed, would add 23 cents per 1,000 of assessed value to property taxes in the fire district.

A second bond measure is backed by the city of Milton-Freewater. The city believes it needs $7.7 million to build a 7,544-square-foot police station. The measure would boost taxes 87 cents per $1,000 of assessed value.

Both measures are asking a whole lot of voters, but there is one common theme with both — they will support public safety.

That fact means both are necessary and voters should support them.

There are a very few issues that deserve nearly outright tax support from voters. One, of course, is national defense. We need a strong military to keep our nation — our democracy — safe. Yet another is public safety. Money spent to help a fire department, or a police agency, pays off for decades. Every community needs a strong and well-equipped fire department and police agency. Money spent on public safety is an investment in the overall health of a community. It isn’t a blank check for an elected official to tinker with, but essential for our well-being.

No one likes to pay more taxes. One of the pillars of the birth of our nation was an outright resistance to paying taxes to the English crown. So an anti-tax sentiment runs deep in our national collective consciousness. We can all relate. Often it seems like the government is thrusting its hands into our wallets and purses on a regular basis, and sometimes there isn’t a whole lot to show for it.

But funding public safety is a different issue.

Most of us can do the math and understand that a fire department or the police are two of the most important publicly funded institutions. Without either, our cities are vulnerable. None of us wants that. And most importantly, none of us can afford it. We can’t afford to expect our emergency service responders to react to an emergency with outdated equipment. When lives are potentially at stake, no price is too high.