Everett council sends EMS levy lift to August ballot

Published 2:30 pm Wednesday, April 22, 2026

EVERETT — The Everett City Council voted Wednesday to ask voters for a property tax levy lid lift to raise funds for the city’s emergency medical services.

The measure, set to appear on the August ballot, would increase property tax levy rates for the city’s EMS service from $0.36 per $1,000 of assessed value to $0.50 per $1,000. The average homeowner would pay approximately $80 more per year if the tax increase is approved, according to a city press release.

In 2000, Everett voted to approve a permanent levy for emergency medical services at the $0.50 per $1,000 rate; that rate decreased over time because the city is limited by state law to 1% growth in property tax revenue per year. Everett residents previously approved restoring the rate of $0.50 per $1,000 in both 2010 and 2018.

In a statement to the city council on Wednesday, Everett’s fire chief, Dave DeMarco, said the department receives more calls now than it did in 2018, and the costs of labor and supplies have increased as well.

“The fund has remained solvent throughout this period of extraordinary growth, also a global pandemic and increasing demands for service,” DeMarco said. “However, to remain stable and meet the growing emergency medical services needs of our community, the restoration of the levy is necessary.”

Everett gets the funding for emergency medical services through a separate property tax levy, meaning it is outside of the city’s general fund that faces a structural deficit. The EMS fund pays for about 78 positions within the city’s fire department, according to a city press release.

The election will take place Aug. 4.

Will Geschke: 425-339-3443; william.geschke@heraldnet.com; X: @willgeschke.