Beware of the fire benefit charge. While it may require a 60 percent vote for approval, the renewal rate is 50 percent.
Past analysis indicated that a residential property might pay a net increase of about 36 cents per $1,000 of valuation for a fire benefit charge. Therefore, taxes on a $400,000 house would go up about $144 per year (36 cents X 400) for no additional service.
House Bill 1368 currently under consideration, if approved, would also allow another 25 cents per $1,000 of valuation over the current levy maximum should it ever be implemented as allow by law for another $100 tax increase if analyzed as above.
A fire benefit charge is solely for the benefit of the fire service. As one Fire District 1 Commissioner stated some time back during the Regional Fire Service Authority planning meetings “We run this fire district for the benefit of the fire fighters.” Public officials in attendance berated him for making such a statement after all the public must not know the truth.
Fire districts have recovered significantly since the recession due to increased property values, and the bottom line is that a fire benefit charge is a money grab.
Wil Nelson
Mill Creek
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