Voters approve fire and EMS levy lifts in Snohomish County
Published 9:16 pm Tuesday, August 5, 2025
EVERETT — Voters approved all three levy lifts in Snohomish County during the Tuesday primary.
The Marysville Fire District’s levy lid lift passed with 64% of votes.
This levy lid lift increases the current levy rate from $1.04 per $1,000 of assessed property value to $1.45 per $1,000. This comes just two years after voters renewed the fire district’s EMS levy.
The passage of the levy lift means the district’s average homeowner will see their property taxes increase by about $18.47 per month.
Marysville Fire District will use the revenue to meet increasing demands of its expanding community while maintaining fire and emergency medical services, according to a press release in May.
“As Marysville continues to grow, so does the need for fire and emergency medical services,” department chief Ned Vander Pol said in the release. “This levy lid lift will help us maintain and enhance the services our community expects and deserves. It will allow us to invest in our personnel and resources, ensuring we are always prepared to respond quickly and effectively when needed.”
North County Regional Fire Authority
Voters in the North County Regional Fire Authority district approve a levy lid lift by 62%.
Previously, the levy sat at $1.32 per $1,000 of assessed property value. With this approval, the rate will increase to $1.50 per $1,000.
North County Fire serves much of northern Snohomish County, including Arlington and Stanwood. For the average homeowner in the area, property taxes will increase by about $7.50 per month, or $90 per year.
The levy will fund both fire and emergency medical services, including two fire engine replacements, six ambulances and a ladder truck refurbishment. The revenue will also support firefighter wages and renovations at Station 90, allowing for more emergency personnel.
Call volumes have gone up 26% in three years, resulting in higher costs for personnel, equipment and medical supplies on top of inflation, according to North County Fire Chief Dave Kraski in a press release April 10.
“This funding is essential to replace aging apparatus and maintain the speed and quality of response our community relies on,” he said.
Snohomish County Fire District No. 4
The Snohomish County Fire District No. 4 levy lid lift passed by 60%.
The levy lid lift raises the current 35 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value levy rate to 50 cents per $1,000.
For every $500,000 of assessed property value, property taxes will increase just under $6 per month, or $70 a year. Passage of the levy lid lift means the district will increase its daily number of firefighters for the first time since 2009. District No. 4 will go from 10 to 12 firefighters on shift and create a fourth unit available to respond to medical emergencies.
Fire Chief Don Waller hopes to gradually increase staffing to 13-15 firefighters per day by 2031, he said in March.
“On behalf of Snohomish County Fire District #4, I want to thank the residents of our district for approving the renewal of our EMS levy,” Waller said in a release Thursday. “This continued funding ensures we can maintain and improve the high-quality emergency medical care our community depends on.”
EMS accounts for more than 80% of the emergency calls the district receives, Waller said. The added revenue will also help fund EMS supplies, billing and training costs.
Taylor Scott Richmond: 425-339-3046; taylor.richmond@heraldnet.com; X: @BTayOkay
