Shoreline voters have a number of important decisions to make when they get their primary ballots in the coming weeks.
Among them is whether or not to approve Proposition 1, a six-year fire protection levy requested by the Shoreline Fire Department.
Voters first approved the fire protection levy in 2005, at a rate of $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value. Since then, the rate has fallen to $1.30 per $1,000, an amount insufficient to cover the fire department’s basic operating costs. Prop 1 would restore the levy to $1.50 per $1,000 for the next six years.
If the levy fails, the department is facing a projected $1 million deficit that could result in older equipment, decreased services and reductions in staff.
The Shoreline Fire Department responded to more than 9,300 calls last year and that number will only get higher in the coming years. Maintaining a well-funded, fully staffed fire department is a necessity as the city’s population both expands and grows older.
By asking for a multi-year levy, the department is taking a long-term approach to planning and ensuring that the current high level of service is maintained. The six-year levy will stabilize funding and not leave officials wondering if the money will be in their coffers in two or three years.
Not only that, a six-year levy means the department won’t have to return the issue to the voters every few years in the form of a costly election.
Everyone is facing tough choices in these gloomy economic times, from the state Legislature to the families struggling to make ends meet. Cuts and sacrifices are inevitable, but funding for public safety should be the last thing that gets slashed.
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