The City of Centralia has thrown its support behind a proposal to create a new tax to help fund the Lewis County 911 Communications Center.
The city council voted to sign a letter in support of the initiative during its Tuesday night meeting.
The Board of Lewis County Commissioners (BOCC) is currently working on a November 2023 ballot initiative that, if approved by voters, would create a two-tenths of 1% sales tax to support and improve the county’s 911 dispatch center.
Should it pass, Centralia’s city sales tax will rise from 8.2% to 8.4%, or two cents on every $10, and the tax would be applied countywide.
During Tuesday night’s Centralia City Council meeting, Centralia Police Chief Stacy Denham formally asked the city council to sign the letter supporting the ballot measure.
Ultimately, the Centralia City Council approved the request unanimously.
“I never thought I’d be in a position where I’m supporting to send something to the voters potentially raising taxes … but here I am,” Denham said Tuesday night.
Denham added he wasn’t just speaking as the Centralia police chief, but as the chair of the Lewis County 911 Communications Combined User Committee (CUC), which voted unanimously to ask Lewis County city councils and fire district boards to support the proposed tax.
“This is something that all the counties surrounding us already have. We’re like a little island right now that doesn’t have this tax,” Denham said.
Denham said the CUC is currently the only county-based funding source for the 911 dispatch center. While there is some state funding, there is no additional local funding available to better equip the center.
“The sales tax increase should give the dispatch center enough money to be fully functional like it should be. That means proper equipment, proper pay and salary and the ability to be able to potentially have a new building constructed,” Denham said.
According to Denham, the 911 dispatch center needs to be moved as multiple studies have shown its current location poses significant earthquake damage risks. A railroad derailment could also pose a threat, he said. It’s currently located on the top floor of the Lewis County Courthouse.
Denham said Lewis County residents have to pay the tax when they visit surrounding counties even as the tax doesn’t exist in Lewis County.
Lewis County Commissioner Scott Brummer spoke to the Centralia City Council as well, explaining why he believes the tax is necessary.
“We want to ensure that these changes are going to outlast us. Obviously, we come and go as elected officials, so we want to make sure there’s a secure future for 911 in this county,” Brummer said.
He said the county is already considering a site for a possible new 911 dispatch center. He said while Lewis County already has an existing 911 tax implemented on residents’ cellphone bills, it only accounts for around $700,000 annually, leaving the dispatch center largely underfunded.
“Current budget for 911 (dispatch) is over $3 million, so it doesn’t even come close,” Brummer said.
The remaining cost to run the dispatch center not already covered by state or CUC funding gets passed on to city governments and fire districts who have to pay fees. Denham estimated it would take approximately $5.5 million annually to run the county’s 911 dispatch center properly.
“This taxing opportunity allows us to put money back into the fire districts and back into law enforcement so they can do what they are charged to do,” Brummer said.
CUC officials are currently still drafting the ballot initiative in preparation for this November’s general election.
Police and fire departments nationwide are facing staffing shortages, and 911 dispatch centers are facing them as well.
Lewis County’s 911 Communication Center is no exception.
During a June 21 meeting at the Salkum Fire Station held by Lewis County Fire District 8 Chief Duran McDaniel, he touched on dispatch issues, saying during fire season the understaffed dispatch center is often overwhelmed with calls about ash. He also commended the dispatchers for still doing their jobs despite the understaffing issues.
“They don’t get enough credit. We have a top notch set of people that run our 911 center. We’re running it on a shoestring and I’m not b-tching, but if you see something come up about that, think about how we’re running on a shoestring,” McDaniel said at the June 21 meeting. “Sometimes they only have two dispatchers on. We’re lucky if we have three for the whole county.”
