Four fire districts seek levy increases

Published 9:00 pm Wednesday, September 12, 2001

By Marcie Miller

Herald Writer

SNOHOMISH COUNTY — Three and a half minutes can seem like a long time when your house is burning or a loved one has suffered a heart attack.

Proponents of Fire District 14’s Proposition 1 say recent changes that have reduced the time it takes to respond to emergencies are worth a proposed 35 cents per $1,000 increase in the property tax levy.

Opponents say the two fire station-district should learn to live within its means.

Voters in the primary Tuesday will decide on fire protection property tax levies in districts 14, 26 and 28.

The District 14 measure calls for increasing its regular property tax levy to $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, an increase of not more than 35 cents per $1,000. The measure does not include the levy for emergency medical services, which is another 45 cents per $1,000.

According to the proposition, the levy would allow the district, which covers the Stanwood area, to "continue providing good service to the community through shorter response times, available staffing and construction of a new fire station."

Ron Barton, Fire District 14 chief executive officer, said the district board has taken a "proactive approach to hiring people and reducing response time," which is in the best interest of the public.

The district is under fire from critics for using money set aside for a new Warm Beach station to instead hire more staff, after a similar proposition was voted down two years ago.

District commissioner Jack Stedman said the staff increases to four full-time paid firefighters was the only way to ensure coverage and reduce response time. He said when the district made that change in July, the response time was reduced by an average of 3.6 minutes.

Karl Sadler, an ex-commissioner of the district, said he doesn’t think the improvements in response time make up for the money spent.

"A lot of districts are doing well with less," he said.

Fire District 26 in the Gold Bar area is thinking ahead in asking for a property levy increase to $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. The current rate is 94 cents per $1,000.

The district has recently begun a part-time staffing plan for on-duty weekday firefighters, traditionally a weak time period for volunteers. Remodeling of the fire station on U.S. 2 is expected to be completed in 2002.

Voter approval would provide funding for staffing and other equipment, apparatus and equipment needs, the proposition statement says.

Fire District 28 in the Index area has Proposition 1, which calls for a 25-cent-per-$1,000 increase to be collected for six years for emergency medical services. The district’s current levy of 25 cents was approved in 1997 and expires at the end of this year.

Proposition 2 for the same district is asking for voter approval of a 70-cent-per-$1,000 increase in the levy, from 80 cents to $1.50. The money would be used to fund a full-time emergency medical technician.

The fire district’s board said the district covers 170 square miles, and that hiring a full-time EMT would greatly assist in providing 24-hour emergency coverage.

You can call Herald Writer Marcie Miller at 425-339-3292

or send e-mail to mmiller@heraldnet.com.