The future of emergency response in rural Fire District 4 is on the line in the Aug. 1 election.
Voters who live within the boundaries of Fire District 4, which stretches from East Smith Road to the north shore of Lake Whatcom, are being asked to approve a levy of 99 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, about 36 cents more than year’s levy rate. The increase amounts to an additional $200 in annual property taxes on a $550,000 home.
A successful ballot measure also would enable the fire district to raise total property tax collections by 3% per year, rather than the 1% maximum enshrined in state law by Initiative 747, which took effect in 2002. The tax levy may never exceed $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed value and is likely to decrease in future years, assuming property values increase.
If the measure is approved, Fire District 4 can afford to extend its contract for service with North Whatcom Fire and Rescue, which expires at the end of this year. If the tax hike fails on the Aug. 1 ballot, North Whatcom will sever ties with Fire District 4, and service to the rural area of about 10,000 residents will decrease significantly.
The tax increase would enable 24-hour staffing to continue at Station 12 on Britton Loop Road while paying for station repairs and a new fire engine.
Without around-the-clock staffing at the Britton Loop Road station, Fire District 4 would rely on responses from outside agencies, which could take an additional 30 minutes or more, Fire District 4 said in a July 5 news release.
District 4 residents are invited to two informational sessions on the levy measure: 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 19, at the Rome Grange, 2821 Mount Baker Hwy.; and 9 a.m. Saturday, July 22, at Station 12, 4142 Britton Loop Road.
North Whatcom Fire Chief Jason Van Der Veen and District 4 Commissioner Steve Cooley will attend and answer questions from the public.
