King County Local Voters Pamphlet

Sept. 14, 2004 Special Elections

PROPOSITION NO. 1
INCREASING PROPERTY TAX LEVY RATE
FOR FIRE PROTECTION AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES

The Board of Commissioners of King County Fire Protection District No. 37 adopted Resolution No. 303 to finance fire protection and emergency medical services. This proposition would authorize the District to restore its regular property tax levy rate to one dollar and fifty cents ($1.50) per one thousand dollars ($1000) of assessed valuation upon all taxable property within the District in 2004 for collection in 2005 without regard to limitations imposed by Ch. 84.55 RCW on annual increases in property tax revenue. This shall not be construed to authorize an excess levy and is subject to otherwise applicable statutory dollar rate limitations. Should this proposition be:

APPROVED
REJECTED

EXPLANATORY STATEMENT

If approved by the voters, the proposition will authorize the District to levy regular real property taxes at a rate not to exceed $1.50 per thousand dollars of assessed valuation. The actual levy rate will be established by the Board of Commissioners. The current levy rate is $1.29 per thousand dollars of assessed valuation.

The levy will continue to be a regular property tax levy subject to the statutory exemptions and is not an excess levy.

The District Board has found that the tax levy and the revenue it will produce is necessary to maintain the current level of services, fire fighter staffing, equipment and facilities and to provide for the construction of a station, the purchase of equipment and apparatus to continue to improve services for the protection of life and property in the District and to enhance public safety.

If the levy is approved, the maximum tax on a $100,000 assessed valuation residence would be increased by $21.00 each year or approximately $1.75 per month for the emergency services.

Statement For

Statement Against

Citizens of KCFD 37 have come to expect a high quality of service delivery from its Fire Department, and rightfully so. When someone places a call to 911, they deserve a timely response by highly trained professionals to help them in their time of need. More often than not, that expectation is met. Let’s keep it that way.

The Fire District strives to maintain this level of service, but is finding it increasingly more difficult to do so. Rapid population growth, increased population density and traffic congestion are all contributing factors that challenge our fire department’s ability to meet community expectations.

A response time analysis has shown that the district is suffering as a result. This same analysis shows that the solution to minimize this trend of slower response times, is the construction and staffing of a new fire station in the vicinity of SE 256 St. and 180 Ave SE. The successful passage of Proposition One would allow this to become a reality.

Proposition One is simply asking voters to restore our level of funding to the $1.50 per $1,000.00 of assessed valuation approved in 1986. Let’s maintain our level of service. Vote YES on Proposition One.

STATEMENT PREPARED BY: Dave Lawrence, Samuel Sullivan, Marilyn Zeek

NO STATEMENT SUBMITTED.

Complete Text of Resolution

KING COUNTY FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NO. 37
RESOLUTION NO. 303
RESOLUTION PROVIDING FOR THE SUBMISSION OF LEVY

(SPECIAL ELECTION)

A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF KING COUNTY FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NO. 37, PROVIDING FOR THE SUBMISSION TO THE QUALIFIED ELECTORS OF THE DISTRICT AT A SPECIAL ELECTION TO BE HELD WITHIN THE DISTRICT ON SEPTEMBER 14, 2004, IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE STATE PRIMARY ELECTION TO BE HELD ON THE SAME DATE, OF A PROPOSITION AUTHORIZING A LEVY OF A PROPERTY TAX NOT TO EXCEED $1.50 PER $1,000.00 OF TRUE AND ASSESSED VALUATION SUBJECT TO OTHERWISE APPLICABLE STATUTORY LIMITATIONS.

WHEREAS, it is the judgment of the Board of Commissioners of the District that it is essential and necessary for the protection of the health and life of the residents of the District that fire and emergency medical services be provided by the District. The accelerated demands for, and increasing costs of, providing these services will necessitate the expenditure of revenues for maintenance, operations and equipment in excess of those which can be provided by the District’s regular tax revenue levied at the current rate per $1,000.00 of assessed valuation of taxable property within the District as limited by the 101% limitation.

NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Commissioners of King County Fire Protection District No. 37, King County, Washington as follows:

Section 1. In order to provide fire protection, prevention and emergency medical services in the District, it is necessary for the District to obtain operate and maintain emergency fire and medical aid vehicles and facilities staffed by properly trained personnel equipped with suitable fire fighting and emergency medical equipment.

Section 2. In order to provide the revenue adequate to pay the costs of providing adequate life protection services and facilities as described in Section 1 and to assure the continuation of such services, the District shall, in accordance with RCW 84.55.050, remove the limitation on regular property taxes imposed by RCW 84.55.010, and Initiative 747 and levy beginning in 2004 and collect beginning in 2005, pursuant to RCW 52.16.130, RCW 52.16.140 and RCW 52.16.160, a general tax on taxable property within the District at a rate of $1.50 per $1,000.00 of assessed valuation subject to otherwise applicable statutory limits.

Section 3. The District currently levies a regular property tax at the rate of $1.29833 per $1,000 of assessed valuation.

Section 4. There shall be submitted to the qualified electors of the District for their ratification or rejection, at a special election on September 14, 2004, in conjunction with the state primary election to be held on the same date, the question of whether or not the regular property tax levy of the District should be restored to $1.50 per $1,000.00 of true and assessed valuation, subject to otherwise applicable statutory limitations. The Board of Commissioners hereby requests the auditor of King County, as ex-officio Supervisor of Elections, to declare that an emergency exists and to call such election, and to submit the following proposition at such election, in the form of a ballot title substantially as follows:

PROPOSITION
King County Fire Protection District No. 37 - Board of Commissioners – Proposition
Authorizing Increase of Existing Property Tax Levies.

The proposition will authorize the Board of Commissioners of the District to maintain its regular property tax levy to an amount not to exceed $1.50 per $1,000.00 of assessed valuation. (This shall not be construed to authorize an excess levy and shall be subject to other applicable statutory limits.)

Should this Proposition be enacted into law?

Yes
No

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED by the Board of Commissioners of King County Fire District #37 that the King County Elections Department is hereby notified of the District’s intent to participate in the King County State Voters pamphlet for the September 2004 primary election.

ADOPTED by the Board of Commissioners of King County Fire Protection District No. 37, King County, Washington, at a regular open public meeting of such Board on the 19th day of July, 2004, the following Commissioners being present and voting:

Tom Sawyer (signed)
Commissioner

Pat Riordan (did not sign)
Commissioner

Bill Stewart (signed)
Commissioner

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