Public invited to ask questions about fire district merger on April ballot at public meetings April 13 and 14

Published 1:30 pm Monday, March 28, 2016

Fire Districts 10 and 38 in east King County are hosting two meetings to answer questions voters may have about a measure that is on the April 26 special election ballot. Meetings will be at 7 p.m. Wednesday, April 13 at Station 78, 20720 S.E. May Valley Rd., Issaquah and 7 p.m. Thursday, April 14 at North Bend’s Station 87, 500 Maloney Grove Ave. S.E., North Bend.

Fire commissioners are asking voters to combine the two fire districts into one fire agency that would be called Eastside Fire Authority. The goal is to protect emergency service levels long-term, reduce costs and improve efficiency for taxpayers. The fire authority would continue to be a partner in Eastside Fire and Rescue, a regional partnership with the cities of North Bend, Issaquah and Sammamish.

Under the new fire authority, a majority of the cost to provide emergency services would be funded through a fire levy of $1 per $1,000 of assessed property value. The remaining amount would be collected through a benefit charge, which is set through a public process each year.

The tax rate equivalent of the benefit charge would average $0.49 per $1,000 of assessed value for property owners.

Fire District 10 serves Carnation and the unincorporated areas of May Valley, Tiger Mountain, Mirrormont, and Preston. Fire District 38 serves the unincorporated areas around North Bend and Snoqualmie.

For more information, visit Eastside Fire and Rescue’s website at www.eastsidefire-rescue.org.