EVERETT — The city of Edmonds is pausing payments to South County Fire due to a disagreement over who’s financially responsible for fire and emergency medical services for the remainder of 2025.
In April, Edmonds residents voted to annex into the regional fire authority. For the city, it was a step in addressing its $13 million budget deficit. On June 1, annexation went into effect.
On May 22, Edmonds received an $854,000 invoice from South County Fire for fire services for the month of June. At this rate, for the remainder of 2025, the contract payment would total nearly $6 million.
On June 9, Edmonds City Attorney Jeff Taraday wrote a letter to Richard Davis, an attorney for South County Fire, saying the city was surprised to receive an invoice for continued payments.
“The pre-annexation (interlocal agreement) does not appear to create any new or continuing obligation to make such payments after annexation,” Taraday wrote.
In an email Friday, South County Fire spokesperson Christie Veley said Taraday acknowledged the continued payment at a December 2024 council meeting, referring to a part of the pre-annexation agreement.
“Let’s use June 1 as the hypothetical annexation date, that basically describes what the city pays for the final seven months of 2025 for its fire and EMS service,” Taraday said at the meeting. “Starting on Jan. 1, 2026, there would be no longer any contract payment because on that date the city’s no longer contractually obligated to make a contract payment, and the RFA is then receiving directly from Edmonds taxpayers its fire and EMS levy dollars and fire benefit charge.”
The city’s payments are on hold until the disagreement is resolved with South County Fire, Edmonds spokesperson Neil Neroutsos said in an email Friday.
Veley confirmed South County Fire has not received the payment, which was due Tuesday. She said the payment is now delinquent.
The disagreement comes as the city brainstorms additional ways to solve its budget crisis. Earlier this month, Edmonds Mayor Mike Rosen recommended a $19 million property tax levy lid lift for the November ballot. The City Council has been discussing potential levy lid lift options over the past two weeks.
Jenna Peterson: 425-339-3486; jenna.peterson@heraldnet.com; X: @jennarpetersonn.
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