Voters to decide the future of the Arlington Fire Department

Published 6:03 pm Tuesday, November 3, 2020

ARLINGTON — Voters will get to weigh in on the future of the Arlington Fire Department, the Arlington City Council decided at its Monday night meeting.

An annexation proposal is to appear on February special election ballots, asking if the Arlington department should merge with North County Fire and EMS. The two already have a longstanding relationship, according to the city.

If approved, the department would continue school and community events and keep its fire stations.

Annexation would provide steady funding to maintain the level of service already offered by the fire department as call volumes increase, Fire Chief Dave Kraski said in a statement.

If approved, property owners would pay a levy directly to North County Fire. Residents are encouraged to compare what they would pay with and without annexation at www.arlingtonwa.gov/RFA.