The Northshore Fire Department provides outstanding public safety services to the communities of Kenmore and Lake Forest Park, including emergency medical response, fire suppression, technical rescue, water rescue, and community risk reduction and prevention, among many others. Each year, residential and commercial property owners in our communities pay a Fire Levy rate and a Fire Benefit Charge (FBC) which supply the critical funding to these essential fire and rescue services.
While the Fire Levy rate has decreased over the last 10 years, the FBC is close to its State-established limits. It is now time to restore balance to this system by decreasing the FBC rate and increasing the Fire Levy rate. Without this rebalancing, unfortunately, the department would be forced to tap into reserves to cover 2025 costs and look at decreasing levels of service as early as 2026.
This is the first time in 20 years the department has requested an increase in the Fire Levy rate and preliminary calculations estimate this measure will raise the average homeowner's cost by no more than $50 annually. A small price to pay to maintain the Fire Department’s response capabilities and protect our families when emergencies occur.
We respectfully request that you vote Yes on Prop 1, keeping our dedicated Fire Department personnel ready and able to respond to all hazards and emergencies in our communities.
Submitted by: Phillippa Kassover, Charlie Kimball, Jon Culver, pmkassover@gmail.com
