||| FROM KAT BARNARD for BOARD OF FIRE COMMISSIONERS |||
The Board of Fire Commissioners invites you to the Special Meeting TOWN HALL on Tuesday, September 26th, at 6 p.m. at the Eastsound Fire Hall or on Zoom (agenda).
Please join us for this TOWN HALL, moderated by Adam Bigby from Lopez Fire & EMS. The Zoom link is provided for streaming purposes only. The TOWN HALL format will be most conducive to in-person participation.
The town hall meeting about the fire levy left me with a few take-a-ways
3/4 of the budget is spent on personnel. Largely to handle emergency medical calls.
That doesn’t leave money to repair equipment or buildings.
There were an unexpectedly large number of times where vehicles were unable to respond to emergencies due to mechanical failures. There are insufficient funds to keep them in good repair.
The cost of the levy is about the same as if each household bought a cup of coffee once a week.
Seems like a wise investment to keep islanders safer by having 24/7 paramedics and fire trucks that are reliable
Per the assessor’s office, the average residential parcel value on Orcas Island in 2023 is $1,041,250. A levy of $1.06 per $1,000 would equate to a fire tax of $!,103.72/year. A coffee a week using that amount would be $21.22.
Not sure where you are buying your cup of coffee. Possibly you are including your tip.
The biggest problem with the current levy proposal ?
No term limit !
A new reasonable levy request should be on the agenda of the new Board of Commissioners in 2024 with open public discussion and input.
The current levy expires at the end of 2024 !