Snohomish County Fire District 1 eliminates nine positions

Published 10:16 pm Thursday, November 10, 2011

The county’s largest fire district announced Wednesday that it is cutting nine administrative positions due to budget woes.

Snohomish County Fire District 1 laid off five people effective immediately, including a deputy chief, district spokeswoman Leslie Hynes said. Four more positions will be eliminated Nov. 16, when people in those jobs are expected to retire.

The district needs to close a $3 million shortfall in the 2012 budget, Fire Chief Ed Widdis said. That’s largely due to declining revenue from property taxes.

District leaders are trying to make cuts that won’t affect emergency services staffing, he said. General spending for next year is expected to be cut 12 percent across the board.

Fire District 1 serves more than 227,000 people across south Snohomish County.