Clark County Fire District 3 is considering asking voters to approve a fire levy lid lift.
The purpose of my letter is to ask our taxpayers what they think of this idea. The challenge we face is that revenue is not keeping up with the demand for service. Since 2007, emergency calls have increased almost 40 percent in the fire district alone, as have costs for apparatus, equipment, supplies and personnel.
In contrast, the fire district is limited to a 1 percent revenue increase per year. This has forced us to fund daily operations out of emergency reserves for several years, which is not sustainable. The last time voters approved a funding increase for emergency services was 11 years ago.
Our fire levy has fallen from $1.42 to $1.29 per $1,000 of assessed property value in just one year. Is it a reasonable request to ask our community to restore the fire levy to $1.42 per $1,000? A 13-cent lid lift would cost an additional $4.33 per month ($52 per year) for a property valued at $400,000.
Please send me an email at steve@fire3.org, or letter at Clark County Fire District 3 17718 NE 159th St., Brush Prairie, WA 98606.
