We’re just telling everybody where we’re at financially and both agencies are unsustainable.”

East Jefferson Fire Chief Bret Black

The two largest fire districts in Jefferson County are both developing plans to ask voters to approve measures that would raise property taxes.

Officials in both East Jefferson Fire Rescue and Port Ludlow Fire & Rescue have been talking about a property tax levy lid lift initiative in 2023.

East Jefferson Fire Chief Bret Black said such a ballot proposal is not related to the merger proposal that’s on the November ballot that would combine the Port Ludlow district with East Jefferson.

According to a recent statement released by the East Jefferson Fire Rescue and Port Ludlow Fire & Rescue, both districts’ levy rates are among the lowest in the region.

“Whether merged or operating as individual agencies, these low levy rates will no longer be sufficient to maintain current levels of service in 2024,” states a document released by the agencies named, “Merger: Questions and Answers.”

Part of the issue is that fire districts are considered junior tax districts, which means state law prevents them from increasing their levies more than 1 percent annually without voter approval.

“Inflation increased 10.1 percent this year, but our revenue did not,” Black said in an email to The Leader.

Currently, EJFR rates are 85 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, while for Port Ludlow, it’s $1.02 per $1,000 of assessed value.

While the proposed merger of the districts on the ballot in November has an anticipated cost savings of almost $2 million over the first five years, the levy rate for the new combined district would end up going down to 83 cents per $1,000, according to an assessment done by the departments in June.

“We’re just telling everybody where we’re at financially and both agencies are unsustainable,” Black said.

That same June assessment includes three possible lid-lift options for the unified district if the merger goes through: Option 1 is $1.25; Option 2, $1.30; and Option 3, $1.50.

Black stressed the numbers in the June study are subject to change.

“It’s a roadmap to how we’re setting the priorities in both organizations whether we merge or not,” Black said of the report.

“Today those numbers would be different because the economy changes sometimes divergent from what we think it’s going to do, and it has since we published that.”

Both districts have postponed major capital expenses for several years, which has left their fleets and facilities in disrepair and outdated, Black said.

“Some of our vehicles have aged to the degree where they require major expenditures to keep them operational,” he said.

Black added that 911 call volumes for both districts exceed industry norms.

Whether the merger goes through or not, it seems the districts will have to ask voters for a property tax increase.

“While our strategic plan is recommending additional responders to address the increased 911 demand, other capital investments and additional firefighters is not financially feasible.

Both districts have directed staff to develop options for a levy lid lift in early 2023, independent from the merger,” Black said.