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Ballot measures

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Ballot measures

April 24, 2018 Special Election

Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority

Proposition No. 1

The Board of Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority adopted Resolution No. 132 concerning a proposition to maintain and adequately fund Puget Sound Fire operations.

This proposition authorizes Puget Sound Fire to restore its regular property tax levy to a rate of $1.00 per $1,000 of assessed value to be assessed in 2018 and collected in 2019. The funds will maintain and improve fire protection and emergency medical services, maintain staffing, replace apparatus, equipment and facilities and provide for firefighter safety. The maximum allowable levy in 2018 shall serve as the base for subsequent levy limitations as provided by chapter 84.55 RCW.

Should this proposition be:

 

Approved

Rejected


The Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority (Puget Sound Fire) provides fire protection and emergency medical services to the cities of Covington, Kent, SeaTac and Fire District 37. This proposition will authorize Puget Sound Fire to restore its regular real property tax levy rate (which is currently approximately $.77 per thousand of assessed valuation) to the 2011 levy rate of $1.00 per thousand dollars of assessed valuation.

Puget Sound Fire has a two-part funding system including this property tax in combination with a benefit charge. The benefit charge is a service fee based on the square footage of your structure and the amount of resources needed to extinguish a fire. Due to voter approved limits, property tax collections cannot exceed a 1% increase per year. As a result of this limitation, the benefit charge portion of our funding has gradually increased. If this measure is approved, it would restore the $1.00 per thousand property tax and decrease reliance on the benefit charge. With the restoration of the property tax to $1.00 per thousand the department will be able to lower and recalculate the benefit charge and apply that reduction to all parcels in the fire authority based on size and use.

This is a rebalancing of the two-part funding system so that the department can continue to maintain and improve fire protection, prevention, emergency medical services and the protection of life and property in the Puget Sound Fire response area.

Voting Yes on Ballot Proposition #1 will be a vote to ensure continued sustainable funding for the Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority. Proposition #1 simply resets the property tax to $1.00 per thousand which has decreased over the past six years. With the adjustment in the property tax will come a decrease in the Benefit Charge for all residences. It is a fair, efficient and equitable way to provide sustainable fire and emergency medical services. This funding system works for us now and will continue into the future.

Due to state law the property tax portion of the two part funding system cannot be over 60% of the operating budget. In the next budget cycle the department could go over that threshold and limit the funding for the fire department. It is time to make the adjustment now with an offset to the benefit charge.

Saving lives, homes and businesses is not something to take for granted. We trust that our fire department will be there when seconds count. Now it is our chance to be there for them. Please vote Yes for continued funding and support of the very service that might save Your life or home one day!

Kent’s RFA wants to increase your fire cost 58% More: Increase Your property tax 23% and FBC 35%!

$203 increase by RFA on median Kent home!

State Auditor found RFA increased FBC 53% since 2011. Ask SAO for H15-445

Audit: RFA credit card charges increased $75,000 to whopper $300,000.

Audit: expenses charged on RFA card, summer events, birthday parties, selfie stick, cd burner, online diet pills, AirBnB, huge food expenses, personal charges!

On top of tax and FBC, RFA charges Kent KOA $50 per camping space! Are Your deck and driveway next?

Your three car drive way: $150.00?! Your deck: $50?! All improvements at risk!

Google ‘RCW 52.18’, see yourself.

Audit: RFA repeatedly violated state bid law: $ 1.4mil fire trucks!

Google ‘Kent RFA resolution waive competitive bid’, see yourself.

RFA governing board approved each bid waiver, FBC increase, credit card slush fund.

Three RFA governing board members sponsored by RFA: RFA pays their election costs + salaries of $114 a day, whether on clock 1 min or 1 hour.

FD37 exists only on paper, RFA pays all FD37 expenses, RFA claims FD37 commissioners “govern” the RFA!

No Puget Sound RFA Prop 1

Google ‘No fire benefit charge scheme’

A Yes vote for Proposition No. 1 will continue to assure that we have sustainable and equitable funding for our fire department.  We have a governance board of elected officials that ensure we follow state and federal laws.  We have strict spending policies that assure all purchases are in the best interests of taxpayers. We are audited each year by the Washington State Auditors office and receive a clean bill of health.

Submitted by: Jennifer Harjehausen, Cris McCartin, Sam Sullivan jennharje@gmail.com

2018 and the RFA still isn’t properly assessing FBC!
 
Audit: RFA hasn’t charged FBC on entire neighborhoods! Lots of home owners continue enjoy to huge tax breaks while the rest of us Kent taxpayers are overcharged! Ask SAO for H15-445, see yourself.

RFA failed to deliver on lowering taxpayer fire insurance costs by improving district insurance rating.

The RFA “governing” board has failed to protect the interests of Kent & Covington taxpayers.

No Prop 1

Submitted by: Eric Bernard, Karen Bernard http://nofirebenefitchargescheme.typepad.com/no_fire_benefit_charge_sc/

 Simple majority (RCW 52.26.140 and 84.55.050)

For questions about this measure, contact: Greg Markley, Battalion Chief 253-740-5100 gmarkley@pugetsoundfire.org

 

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