Clark County Fire District 6 has a renewal of its emergency medical services levy on the August primary ballot, as the district seeks to maintain its staff of paramedics in the face of increasing calls.
If approved, the renewal will set the levy rate at 45 cents per $1,000 of assessed value on properties in the district. The district covers Hazel Dell, Salmon Creek, Felida and the area around the Clark County Fairgrounds, south of what Clark-Cowlitz Fire Rescue covers.
The maximum tax rate an EMS levy can reach is 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed value. Fire District 6 Chief Kristan Maurer said the 45 cents is sufficient for the district to maintain its current service level.
The levy funds paramedics, equipment, training and certification related to the district’s medical services, Maurer said. She said on a typical day the district staffs four units with three personnel including a paramedic, and one “squad” unit with two personnel.
The district’s number of calls has increased along with population growth within its boundaries. In 2017, Fire District 6 responded to 7,114 emergency calls. That number rose to 8,353 in 2021, according to information from the district. Of those, 87% were medical calls, which have increased 16% since the last levy renewal in 2016, Maurer said.
The EMS levy was first approved in 1980 and requires a renewal every six years by a majority of voters in the district. Fire District 6 Commissioner Brad Lothspeich worked as a firefighter in the district when it first passed its EMS levy.
Prior to the levy, the district responded to calls without paramedics and the advanced lifesaving resources they provide, Lothspeich said.
“We were waiting 15 to 20 minutes for an ambulance,” Lothspeich said.
After some community meetings, the fire district heard enough feedback to put the levy on the ballot. This year’s ballot measure is the sixth time the district has asked for a renewal of the initial levy.
Lothspeich said the commissioners are well aware of the financial strain the community is currently facing.
“We certainly wouldn’t ask for (the levy) if we really didn’t need it,” Lothspeich said.
Maurer said the EMS levy funds a quarter of the district’s budget. Lothspeich said that amounts to 24 personnel.
“If we lost 24 people it would be critical to the district and our ability to respond in a timely manner,” Lothspeich said.
If approved, the levy rate would increase 11 cents per $1,000 of assessed value, Lothspeich said. The district passed a levy at the 45-cent mark six years prior, though increases of assessed values dropped that rate over time. The EMS levy is in addition to the district’s regular operations levy, which is $1.39 per $1,000 of assessed value for taxes payable in 2022, according to the Clark County Treasurer’s Office.
If history is any indicator, the levy renewal won’t have a hard time passing in August. In 2016, the ballot measure had more than 77% of voters in approval, and in 2010 the renewal passed with more than 79% of voters in support.
“We’ve always had excellent support,” Lothspeich said.
He chalked the support up to the commitment to service the district displays.
“To me, that’s what drives passing an EMS levy. We have staff out there doing an exceptional job taking care of our citizens and our citizens recognize that,” Lothspeich said.
Acknowledging the current economic situation, Lothspeich hopes that recognition will be evident when the August primary votes are in.
“With inflation up and prices of everything up, 11 cents to some people could be pretty significant,” Lothspeich said. “We’re hoping that they understand what it pays for and why it’s needed in our community.”
