East Pierce Fire responded to 2,500 additional calls this year, asks for levy lid lift
Those who voted in August will see a familiar levy on the ballot next month — East Pierce Fire & Rescue is resurrecting its plans to increase the regular fire levy by 14 cents to keep up with the increased demand for their services.
The regular fire levy is not a new tax, Fire Chief Jon Parkinson said. Residents living in a median-priced home, which is around $450,000, are currently paying $1.36 per $1,000 of assessed property value. The levy would increase that to $1.50.
At this time, owners of $450,000 home pay $51 per month or $612 per year. If the levy passes, they would pay $56.25 per month or $675 per year in property tax, according to the fire district’s website.
Parkinson said the regular fire levy authorizes his district to collect what the state already allows them to obtain. Washington state allows fire districts to have a levy rate of no more than $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value.
The state also limits districts to increase their taxes by 1 percent per year. If approved, the levy would also allow the fire district to bump that up to 6 percent per year for the next three years, according to the fire district’s website.
“As population goes up, so does the demand for services,” Parkinson said. “Our service level increases at greater than 1 percent a year.”
The fire district saw a 10-percent increase in calls they have had to respond to this year compared to past years, Parkinson said. That totals to about 2,500 additional times they had to respond to an emergency.
The regular fire levy would help ensure the fire district can keep up with the increased demand for services as the population in their communities continues to grow, Parkinson said.
The levy would help fund operational costs such as supplies and medical equipment, which “skyrocketed” amid the COVID-19 pandemic, he said. It would also help maintain staffing for stations like those in Milton and Tehaleh.
The fire district’s tax revenue comes from two avenues: a regular fire levy and an emergency medical services levy. An EMS levy makes up 25 percent of the district’s tax revenue while the regular fire levy makes up 75 percent, Parkinson said.
“Our district prides itself on being fiscally responsible,” Parkinson said. “We’ve always been able to maintain off just those two levies and still provide a very reliable service.”
What happened in August
In August, voters got to decide whether to support two measures regarding the district’s EMS levy and regular fire levy. The EMS levy passed but the regular fire levy failed. The Board of Fire Commissioners voted in April to include both measures on the ballot, The News Tribune reported.
The EMS levy renewed the 10-year levy of 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. It helped fund paramedic costs and advanced life support, The News Tribune reported.
There will be a long-term impact if the regular fire levy does not pass, Parkinson said. The fire district might have to reconsider adding more staff or new programs. Eventually, the services and programs they currently offer might also have to be reduced, he said.
“We wouldn’t be coming to the public if we didn’t have an actual need for that ask,” Parkinson said.
The fire district serves about 97,000 people in Pierce County, many of whom live in or near Bonney Lake, Sumner, Lake Tapps and South Prairie as well as other places in unincorporated Pierce County, according to the district’s website.
The voter’s pamphlet does not have statements against the ballot measure. This levy needs to receive a 60 percent approval rate for it to pass. Election day is on Tuesday, Nov. 2.
