Lynnwood, Fire District 1 wend through complicated merger

Published 1:30 am Monday, May 1, 2017

LYNNWOOD — Voters may see a measure on the Aug. 1 ballot seeking to merge Snohomish County Fire District 1 and the Lynnwood Fire Department.

The city and fire district have been talking since October about creating a regional fire authority. That would be a new government body that would impose its own taxes to provide fire protection and emergency medical services.

Some unanswered questions remain about funding sources and who will be in charge. A lot of effort has gone into selling the idea to the public, without clear math on what it means for people’s tax bills, now and in the future.

Creating the fire authority requires a public vote with at least 50 percent in favor from both jurisdictions combined. The vote would be limited to people in Lynnwood city limits and the unincorporated areas of Fire District 1. The cities that contract with District 1 for service — Brier, Edmonds and Mountlake Terrace — would keep their arrangement with the option of annexation.

The fire authority plan is getting closer to fruition. Lynnwood City Council members approved a resolution last week to submit the measure for the August election. District 1 commissioners plan to vote on a similar resolution Tuesday. There’s even a name now: South Snohomish County Fire &Rescue.

Fire departments around the country have been combining services to combat costs and duplication. The county so far has a fire authority, based in Stanwood, and another is being considered for Marysville and Arlington. Monroe and Clearview also recently merged fire districts.

Joining together will make better use of resources, Lynnwood city spokeswoman Julie Moore said. The city and the district already share an interim chief.

“Year after year, our calls for service have increased and our staffing levels haven’t increased to keep track,” she said.

Lynnwood’s 2017 budget earmarked money to bring on four new firefighters. The city estimates it will need another six to keep up with calls in 2018. A merger would bring greater flexibility to move resources through a larger service area, Moore said.

If approved by voters, the regional fire authority could be formed as soon as October 2017. New property taxes could kick in as early as January 2018.

The combined agency’s budget would depend on property values and taxing rates. It would serve about 250,000 people including the contract cities and employ more than 280 workers, including firefighters and paramedics.

The authority could impose a new tax called a fire benefit charge, which would require another public vote. If that happens, the existing levies are reduced but not eliminated. Lynnwood would lose some taxing capacity.

“It doesn’t mean your city taxes will go up or down,” Moore said. “The city will have to make that decision at a later date.”

The benefit charge is based on the size and type of building. Owners of commercial buildings and apartment complexes pay more than single-family homeowners.

There are no plans to pursue a benefit charge at this point, Moore said.

Meeting records show that city and district leaders were worried voters might balk at too many new ideas at once. They didn’t want a complicated tax proposal to sink the merger.

At a recent District 1 meeting, Commissioner Richard Schrock said he wanted to know Lynnwood’s plans for the money it will save.

On March 14, fire commissioner Jim Kenny said he didn’t think higher taxes for single-family homes were “politically viable,” minutes show.

Commissioner Bob Meador suggested no benefit charge “initially, but to add it as a funding mechanism in subsequent years,” according to minutes. Schrock said that seeking the charge now “would create another avenue for the opposition.”

The benefit charge has a funky history.

District 1 considered seeking the charge in 2015, but the county treasurer’s office said there wasn’t enough room on tax bills. They’ve been working on a solution that is awaiting final approval.

There also has been a lot of discussion about who would lead the new fire authority.

The proposal calls for a seven-member board, with all the fire commissioners and two Lynnwood elected officials, such as the mayor or council members. All of the board positions would be up for election in 2019 or 2021. After that, the board likely would have some seats based on geography and some at-large.

The next meeting on the topic is scheduled from 1:30 to 4 p.m. on May 8 at Lynnwood City Hall.

Reporter Noah Haglund contributed to this story.

Caitlin Tompkins: 425-339-3192; ctompkins@heraldnet.com.

The Lynnwood and Fire District 1 regional fire authority planning committee is seeking volunteers to write pro and con statements for the voter’s pamphlet for the Aug. 1 election. Letters of interest are due by Tuesday. Learn more: www.LynnwoodFD1RFA.com.