MONROE – Residents will likely decide in September whether to pay more in property taxes next year for increasing fire protection costs and a new emergency radio system.
Snohomish County Fire District 3, which serves about 25,000 people in the city and surrounding area, seeks to increase the annual property tax levy by 36 cents per $1,000 of valuation – or by $72 for the owner of a $200,000 home – said Jamie Silva, the district’s acting fire chief.
The proposed increase is pending ongoing negotiations between the district and city. The City Council is scheduled to discuss Wednesday whether to put a levy increase on the fall ballot.
The city has to match the district’s increase because of a joint operating agreement. Each agency will likely put an increase on the ballot. To succeed, both would have to pass, city officials said.
The tax increase is more than the 1 percent annual cap set by state law, therefore it needs voter approval.
City residents now pay $2.14 per $1,000 valuation. That money goes to the general fund and emergency services gets a portion of that. Other district residents pay $1.14 in property taxes just for emergency services.
The levy increase is essential for the fire district to maintain its current level of service, Silva said.
Because of the 1 percent cap, the district, whose annual budget is approximately $4.1 million, has struggled to keep up with growing service demands, Silva said. The district, which has 31 career firefighters and about 30 volunteerr firefighters, recently had to tap into its reserve fund to cover a $137,000 deficit.
The district needs the levy increase for other purposes, Silva said, including restoring rescue training programs, adding more firefighters and paying for a new emergency radio system.
The city is considering switching to the 800-megahertz system, to replace the aging and crowded radio system police and firefighters use now. Many fire and police departments along the I-5 corridor already have made the change.
The new communications system, supporters say, is meant to help speed aid to callers when they dial 911, ensure that dispatchers can send emergency crews in a major disaster and improve radio coverage.
The fire district will have to pay about $278,000 for the infrastructure and equipment of the new radio system, Silva said. It also will have to pay about $7,000 a year for maintenance.
The city needs to generate additional revenue to pay for the new system, city officials said. The city estimates its share will be $756,000, finance director Carol Grey said.
In addition to matching the fire district’s increase, the city also likely needs to increase property taxes next year by 6 cents per $1,000 valuation, Grey said.
Without the tax increase, the district will have to lay off some employees, which could result in slower emergency response, City Councilman Tony Balk said.
“It’s a critical thing,” he said. “It’s a basic service that the city provides.”
Reporter Katherine Schiffner contributed to this report.
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