||| FROM KAT BARNARD for BOARD OF FIRE COMMISSIONERS |||
The Board of Fire Commissioners has decided to put a proposition for a levy lid lift before voters in the August primary.
The funds available under the current tax limit are insufficient to maintain the current level of service provided by Orcas Island Fire & Rescue. There is an increase in the response standards and demand for fire and emergency medical services. At the same time, inflation causes a considerable increase in the cost of these provided services.
This levy is the primary funding source for fire and emergency medical services provided by Orcas Island Fire & Rescue. Without these funds, the response time to an emergency would drastically increase.
“The increase in revenue allows the District to budget for the continued fire engine and ambulance refurbishments and replacements, as well as keeping up with the increased cost of doing business based on recent inflation,” says Assistant Chief vanSchaick. “We want to maintain the current response level and provide funding integral to volunteer recruitment and retention.”
The levy lid lift would increase its regular property tax levy to $1.06/$1,000 of assessed valuation in 2023. The current levy was approved by voters in 2014 at $1.05/$1000. Due to the rapid increase in property values and the statutory 1% limitation on annual property tax (I-747), the current levy rate has decreased to approximately $0.58.
For more information, email pio@orcasfire.org.
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Advice to the OIFR – Get your house in order before coming to me with your hat in hand.
This resolution was approved without any discussion by the current Board, especially since you have 3 new Commissioners at the table. No specific terms of the proposed are stated in the resolution ? The current levy is for 2.5 million and the new levy is for 4.2 levy.
I will not support this proposition
You are both spot on. I start by saying we have a department of professionals, volunteers and paid staff. They serve us well in our times of need. That said, in the past 18 months, over 250 years of fire service experience has been lost, most recently Chief Williams. Why? Unclear. We have a board of commissioners where 4 of 5 have been appointed, never elected, and now 3/4 are opposed in the next election. One commissioner is opposed by our former county attorney who is coming out of retirement to run and support changes in the department and one commissioner is facing two opponents. We have a Interim Chief with just over a years experience on Orcas and without prior fire service experience in a leadership role, or at least not nearly the same as a Chief. So not only is the hand out, who will be the ones who will steward our tax dollars? We certainly do not know that today, given the ongoing flux in the OIFR leadership. Unfortunately we have not been asked, no community discussion, last minute, vote yes or you will not have adequate response times. A shame.
Very interesting that the OIFR press release failed to mention the fact that the expiring 10 year levy is being replaced by a levy with no expiration date!!!