In an effort to avoid a repeat of last August’s primary election, when Lewis County Fire District 5’s proposal to increase property taxes failed by one vote, the Napavine-based fire department is boosting its public education efforts ahead of the levy proposal’s return on the primary ballot.
“I appreciate every one of the voters. That's why we live in a wonderful country,” District 5 Chief Dan Mahoney said. “I will feed them the facts, if they will take it. If they won't, then I can't help them. I would love to see folks turn around and by a landslide say, ‘Yes, by all means we'll support (the levy).’”
Unlike last year, District 5 had pamphlets sent out to all 3,400 constituents in the fire district well ahead of the upcoming Aug. 2 election, with information on the district’s proposal and why the district needs it to pass.
The district attempted to send out similar pamphlets ahead of the 2021 primary, but due to pandemic-related delays, the mailers didn’t reach voters until after many of them had voted already.
“It's drawing quite a stir because I was very straightforward with all the information that we had here,” Mahoney said of the pamphlet.
The information presented to voters paints a dire picture of District 5’s current situation: Napavine's firefighters, which consist of four paid firefighter/paramedics, six firefighter/EMTs, one fire chief and a handful of volunteers, responded to 20% more calls in 2021 than they did in 2019, even though the statutory approved levy rate has fallen from 74 cents per $1,000 of assessed value to 58 cents per $1,000 in that same time frame due to the 1% statutory limitation.
And with demand for fire protection anticipated to increase as the number of businesses and homes in District 5’s coverage area continues to grow, District 5 needs additional funding to maintain its current level of service throughout its coverage area.
If passed, the proposal would raise the district’s levy rate from 58 cents per $1,000 of assessed value to a rate of $1.28 per $1,000 of assessed value for 2023 and provide for a limit factor up to 6% in the succeeding five years.
That levy increase would fund additional paid firefighters and the creation of a residential volunteer program. It would also allocate more money toward the district’s apparatus replacement fund, which would allow the district to replace outdated fire engines and purchase additional fire apparatus as needed.
Levy funds will not go toward District 5’s new fire station, which is funded by a $2 million state grant.
Mahoney calculated the 66-cent proposed increase based on the district’s current revenue, projected needs and anticipated future manpower costs. The request then went to the District 5 Board of Commissioners for approval before it was submitted to the ballot.
“I'm a taxpayer as well … so I take it seriously. And I also take extremely seriously the fact that I'm in charge of spending their money, the taxpayers’ money, so I don't want to waste anything and spend it very frugally,” he said.
In the long run, Mahoney believes the levy will allow District 5 to maintain or improve its protection class rating, which in turn would prevent District 5 residents’ homeowners insurance rates from going up.
Determined by the Washington Surveying and Rating Bureau, a fire department’s protection class rating reflects how prepared a fire department is to respond to fire and emergency needs in its coverage area. The bureau evaluates the fire department itself, including staffing levels and equipment age, as well as the area’s water supply, emergency communications system and fire prevention efforts to determine a department's rating.
Insurance companies throughout Washington then use those ratings to calculate home insurance rates.
On a scale of one and 10, with one being the best possible state of readiness and 10 being unable to serve the public, District 5 currently has a rating of 5.
“If we’re cognizant and we’re good stewards, we’ll pay attention to that rating, because it … affects our constituents,” Mahoney said. “And if (the rating) starts slipping because we can't keep our level of service where it needs to go, then we run the risk of their insurance increasing … that is something we’re very conscious of.”
While Mahoney has heard some outcry from his constituents regarding the levy proposal, few of the concerns Mahoney has heard were about the proposal itself.
“What we're finding is that a lot of people will come in who have past injuries or ill feelings from (past) service,” Mahoney said.
Constituents have come to the station during Mahoney’s twice-monthly “Coffee with the Chief” open houses to air grievances about experiences they had with District 5 as far back as 15 years prior, Mahoney said.
“So instead of holding that grudge, they're coming in and they're saying, ‘We want to see what's different.’ And virtually everything is different,” he said.
In the three years he has been fire chief, Mahoney said, District 5’s staff level has increased threefold and the district has renewed its effort toward total transparency for its constituents.
As a testament to that, District 5 set up poster boards with the district’s full budget on display for constituents to come in and view.
“I have to say that 90% of the folks that come in, and even though they may come in a little upset … they leave with a totally different outlook on what we're going for,” said Mahoney.
While “Coffee with the Chief” was conceptualized as a way for District 5 constituents to talk out their concerns and have their questions answered ahead of the August primary, Mahoney said he intends to “continue Coffee with the Chief” after the votes are counted, regardless of the outcome.
“I encourage anybody, I don't care if you're a pro or con (for the ballot measure), to come in and have a cup of coffee and tell me what's going on, because I can't fix something if I don't know what's there,” he said.
“Coffee with the Chief” takes place in the fire administration building meeting room of District 5’s downtown Napavine station, located at 115 E. Washington Street, at 6 p.m. on the second Thursday and 9 a.m. fourth Monday of the month. For July, that’s 6 p.m. on Thursday, July 14, after the fire commissioners meeting and 9 a.m. on Monday, July 25.
Mahoney will also be at the fire station to answer questions during the Napavine Funtime Festival this weekend.
To view the levy proposal in full, visit https://elections.lewiscountywa.gov/current-election/.
Visit lcfpd5.com for more information on the fire district.
