King County Local Voters Pamphlet

Sept. 14, 2004 Special Elections

PROPOSITION NO. 1
MAINTAINING THE EXISTING PROPERTY TAX LEVY RATE FOR
FIRE PROTECTION AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES

The North Highline Fire District Commissioners adopted Resolution No. 383 to finance fire protection and emergency medical services. This proposition would authorize the District to levy the previously authorized rate of 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

North Highline Fire District, a junior taxing district located in King County, is placing a lid lift proposition on the September 14, 2004 ballot. This proposition will authorize the property tax levy rate to remain as it has since 1990 at $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. The proposition is presented to provide our voters the opportunity to exceed the limitation imposed by Initiative 747, which would limit total property tax revenue to 101% of the previous year’s revenue, regardless of the authorized dollar rate limitation of $1.50 as approved by voters.

This proposition meets the requirement of Initiative 747, mandating that any increase in revenue of more than 1% over the previous year, be approved by the voters.

Approval of this proposition would allow the department to maintain its current level of emergency services and its insurance rating of “3”, which places the department in the top 4% of fire departments in Washington. Passage of this proposition would enable our department to maintain current staffing of aid cars and meet the increasing emergency call volume, as well as stay current on all life-saving advances in the fire service and homeland security. Rejection of this proposition would lead to the loss of almost $140,000 in projected tax revenue, necessitating possible service level cutbacks (including unstaffing of our aid cars), and possible equipment purchase cancellations, elimination of special services to citizens, and jeopardize our department’s excellent insurance rating that our citizens have come to expect from their fire department.

Complete Text of Resolution

NORTH HIGHLINE FIRE DISTRICT, KING COUNTY
(Formerly King County Fire District Eleven)

RESOLUTION NO. 383

A RESOLUTION by the Board of Commissioners of North Highline Fire District, King County, Washington, providing for the submission to the qualified electors of the District at a special election to be held therein in conjunction with the primary election on September 14, 2004, a proposition which would authorize a renewal in property tax revenues in excess of the limitations imposed by Chapter 84.55 of the Revised Code of Washington, but maintain the levy rate of $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed valuation limit previously authorized for the taxing district, applicable to all taxable property located in the District.

BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Fire Commissioners of North Highline Fire District, King County, Washington, as follows:
WHEREAS, in the judgment of the Board of Fire Commissioners (the “Board”) of North Highline Fire District (the “District”), it is essential for the protection of the public health, safety, life, and property of the citizens and residents of the District that minimum service levels of fire and emergency medical services be maintained; and
WHEREAS, a regular property tax rate of $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, applicable to all taxable property located in the district, has been previously authorized and may be lawfully levied within the limits prescribed by Initiative 747 (RCW 84.55.010, as amended) which limits annual property tax increases to 1% over and above the previous year’s tax revenues; and
WHEREAS, Initiative 747 authorizes the 1% limit on annual increases to be exceeded with voter approval, commonly referred to as a “lid lift” election, pursuant to RCW 84.55.050; and
WHEREAS, a 1% limitation would restrict the District from levying its full authorized levy rate of $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, necessitating a cutback in the level of services in the District, including potential layoff of personnel, eliminating special services, and similar cutbacks; and
WHEREAS, the electorate should be given the opportunity to decide whether the cutbacks should occur or instead, whether the full authorized rate of $1.50 per $1,000 should be levied, waiving the 1% limit of the initiative, commonly referred to as “lifting the lid.”
NOW THEREFORE BE IT HEREBY RESOLVED, FOUND, DETERMINED AND ORDERED, AS FOLLOWS:

Section 1. A regular property tax rate of $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, applicable to all taxable property located in the district, has been previously duly authorized, and is necessary and appropriate to levy, notwithstanding the 1% annual increase limitation of RCW 84.55.010 et seq., as amended by Initiative 747. Initiative 747 places a 1% limitation on the tax revenue collected by the District in 2005—such 1% limit would cause a loss of revenue to the District of nearly $140,000. Such a loss would necessitate cutbacks in services as enumerated in the fourth recital above. This resolution and the resultant election would give the voters the opportunity to choose to continue service pursuant to the previously authorized levy rate adopted pursuant to RCW 52.16.160 (the “third fifty cents”), waiving the 1% limit of the Initiative (commonly referred to as a “lid lift”).

Section 2. The proposal set forth below, if authorized by the qualified electors of the District, will allow a continued levy rate of $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. There shall be submitted to the qualified electors of the District, for their ratification or rejection, at a special election held in conjunction with the primary election on September 14, 2004, a proposition to exceed the 1% limitation (and “lift the lid”) of RCW 84.55.010 et seq. and levy the full authorized rate of $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed valuation, subject to statutory and constitutional limits, which are otherwise applicable.

Section 3. The Board hereby declares that an emergency exists and hereby requests the Manager of Records and Elections of King County, Washington, as ex officio County Supervisor of Elections, to find the existence of such emergency, to deem the same to exist, to call and conduct such special election to be held within the District on Tuesday, September 14, 2004, and to submit to the qualified electors of the District the proposition in substantially the following form:

PROPOSITION NO. 1

NORTH HIGHLINE FIRE DISTRICT #11
MAINTAINING EXISTING PROPERTY TAX LEVY RATE
FOR FIRE AND LIFE SAFETY SERVICES

To maintain current levels of service, the North Highline Fire District Commissioners adopted Resolution No. 383 to maintain the current property tax levy rate within its previously authorized limit of one dollar and fifty cents ($1.50) per one thousand dollars ($1,000) of assessed valuation of all taxable property in 2004 for collection in 2005. This shall not be construed to authorize an excess levy and is subject to applicable statutory dollar rate limitations. Should this proposition be:
Should this proposition be: Approved? [ ]
Rejected? [ ]

INSTRUCTIONS TO VOTERS:
To vote IN FAVOR OF the foregoing proposition, mark a cross (X) in the “Levy, Yes” square.
To vote AGAINST the foregoing proposition, mark a cross (X) in the “Levy, No” square.
LEVY, YES [ ]
LEVY, NO [ ]

Section 4. The locations of the polling places, if any, shall be as specified by the Manager of Records and Elections of King County, Washington, as ex officio County Supervisor of Elections for the District.

Section 5. A notice of special election shall be published at least once, which publication shall take place not more then ten (10) days nor less than three (3) days prior to the date of said election. Said publication shall be in a newspaper of general circulation within the District.

Section 6. Approval of the proposition described in Section 3 shall be construed and interpreted as qualified elector approval of a tax increase in compliance with Initiative 747 and RCW 84.55 as amended.

Section 7. The Secretary to the Board is hereby directed to deliver a certified copy of this resolution to the Manager of Records and Elections of King County, Washington, as ex officio County Supervisor of Elections for the District, at least 45 days before the date for the special election.

Section 8. This resolution shall take effect immediately upon adoption.

ADOPTED AND APPROVED by the Board of Commissioners of North Highline Fire District, King County, Washington, at a regular meeting held this 6th day of July, 2004.

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