Fall City fire district asks voters to renew M&O levy in November
Published 1:15 pm Tuesday, September 27, 2016
Fall City voters in Fire District 27 will vote in the November general election on renewing the fire protection district’s maintenance and operations (M&O) levy, which ends this year.
The existing levy is used to fund the fire district’s current staff level of 10 full-time firefighters, plus budgeting for apparatus and equipment replacement, facilities maintenance to facilities, preserving special operations programs, such as swift-water rescue, and firefighter training.
In 2013, voters approved a three-year M&O levy to stabilize revenues that had been reduced by a recession and the annexation of Sammamish properties. Although property values have increased since then, the district’s total assessed valuation has declined 22 percent, $298 million dollars since 2009. The district is limited to a tax increase of 1 percent over the previous year’s levy, as well.
The existing M&O levy provides 20 percent of the district’s revenue. The levy ends in 2016 and if it is not renewed, the district projects a budget deficit averaging $467,000 each year for the next four years. The district will not be able to maintain current service levels funded only by its regular tax levy.
If approved, Proposition 1 will authorize the fire district to renew the excess levy at $475,000 annually for four years, starting in 2017. The cost impact to property owners is estimated at $3.73 per month for every $100,000 of their property’s assessed value or $44.75 per year per $100,000. Senior and disabled citizens who qualify for property tax relief are exempt from the levy.
In addition to its 10 full time career firefighters and EMT’s the district employs 16 volunteers. In 2015, the district was able to achieve three-person staffing 99 percent of the time, which is essential for firefighter safety.
