CENTRAL WHIDBEY ISLAND FIRE & RESCUE DISTRICT: District may seek levy lid lift (WNT)
Karina Andrew reports in the Whidbey News-Times.
Central Whidbey Island Fire and Rescue may soon seek a levy lid lift to pay for additional full-time firefighters to meet rising demand for emergency services….
The Central Whidbey department’s current levy is 86 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. The district also has an ongoing bond at a rate of around 15 cents per $1,000 for three new fire engines and construction of a new station, bringing the total tax rate to $1.01 per thousand.
[Acting Fire Chief Jerry] Helm said the district is considering asking voters to raise the levy rate to $1.18 per thousand. With the bond rate, district taxpayers would pay $1.33 for $1,000 of assessed value.
The levy lid lift will likely appear on the ballot in November.
They Said It
According to acting fire Chief Jerry Helm, call volumes in Central Whidbey have increased by more than 50% in the last 10 years. In 2012, the last time the department asked for a lid lift, the department received around 1,000 calls. Now, the department responds to an average of 1,715 annual calls.
“We’re considering adding more staffing to meet that demand,” he said. “We’ve been struggling along in the past trying to meet that demand with the amount of people we currently have.”
…Helm said the fire district will conduct public outreach before then to receive input from community members on the potential measure.
“At the end of the day, it’s their choice on the level of service that people want,” he said.
On the Ballot in November 2022
| CENTRAL WHIDBEY FIRE AND RESCUE DISTRICT |
| Commissioners. One of the three commissioner positions is scheduled to be on the ballot. Commissioners serve six-year terms. Position 1: Paul Messner |
[Ed. Note: For more information about the fire district’s finances and budget, see this page on their website.]
