Poulsbo Fire Department commissioners are placing a levy on the Nov. 8 General Election ballot.
The resolution asks to restore the levy to the rate of $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value, as previously approved by voters, a PFD news release says.
The restoration was recommended by the department’s citizens’ strategic advisory board to provide funding to maintain service levels for the growing community.
While assessed values have risen sharply, that does not mean funding for fire districts has increased at the same pace. State law limits the annual increase, which results in lower tax rates. That’s why the levy rate has fallen 22 cents per 1,000 since it last passed. That creates the need for fire districts to regularly ask voters to restore rates, referred to as a lid-lift, which places the voters in control of funding the fire department.
The fire and EMS levies account for 70 percent of the department’s funding. PFD does not receive money from Poulsbo, Kitsap County or the state.
The department’s strategic plan had called for a capital bond to fund construction of a new station on Viking Avenue in 2021, and then a levy lid-lift in 2024. The board delayed the 2021 capital bond measure due to COVID-19.
The release says the capital bond won’t be needed at all if the levy lid-lift passes.
PFD has seen an increase in call volume of 46 percent over the last 10 years, including an increase of 10.2 percent in emergency responses the first half of this year. That requires additional emergency responders as well as the facilities and apparatus to support those responders.
A new fire station on Viking Avenue would reduce response times to the west side of Poulsbo and the Scandia/Keyport area by several minutes, per the release. The new station would also reduce response times throughout the district as the need for units from other stations would decrease, improving their reliability. PFD has not added a new fire station since 2005 at Pioneer Hill.
Restoring the fire levy to what voters passed in 2018 would cost the median homeowner $14.68 more per month. In real numbers that’s $176.15 more on a home valued at $461,175.
This ballot measure will limit the district’s annual revenue growth by the consumer price index up to a maximum of 6 percent for a six-year period. That replaces the 1 percent cap that would otherwise apply, slowing the rate at which the levy rate falls and allowing for the district’s revenue to keep pace with the cost of living.
The website www.poulsbofire.org provides additional information.
PFD is joining North Kitsap Fire & Rescue and South Kitsap Fire & Rescue in placing a fire levy lift on the November ballot. For details contact PFD chief Jim Gillard at jgillard@poulsbofire.org.
