Skagit County Fire District 13, whose 72-square mile response area includes Swinomish Reservation and rural La Conner, has placed on the Nov. 4 ballot a levy lid lift measure to generate revenue for its expanding fire and emergency medical services and the 24/7 coverage the public has come to rely upon.
The five-year levy proposal asks approval for the fire district to collect $1.11 per $1,000 assessed valuation from taxable properties in its jurisdiction. The current District 13 levy rate is 59 cents per $1,000 assessed valuation — an estimated monthly increase of $17 to $26 in their tax bill.
If the levy proposition is successful, District 13 Fire Chief Wood Weiss envisions District 13 being able to increase its 24/7 coverage, especially out of the Summit Park station at the district’s north end. Without voter approval, however, the district may only increase its annual revenue by 1 percent over the prior year, which Weiss indicated would impact its ability to maintain present service levels.
“We want to keep serving,” he said. “We want to continue with our programs.”
Funding services
Weiss said his department will respond to an estimated 1,300 service calls this year. The district also provides Basic Life Support transports to area hospitals and proactive initiatives such as “Good Morning, District 13,” the CARES (Community Assistance Referral & Education Services) program, CPR (Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation) instruction, and household smoke alarm installations.
“If you look at the big pie for where your taxes go, we’re at about 7 percent, yet we’re one of the most utilized services supported by tax dollars,” Weiss said. “We’ve come to the point where we need a bigger slice of the pie.
“We’re a conservative district,” he said. “We owe no money to banks.”
Sizeable service area
Weiss said District 13 boundaries run from Gibralter Road on Fidalgo Island to Best Road northeast of La Conner and contain the Shelter Bay and Channel Drive residential communities.
La Conner proper is served by its own volunteer fire department, La Conner Hook & Ladder, but District 13 responds in town as needed on a mutual aid basis.
Weiss said the District 13 tax base does not include tribal-owned properties or the two refineries at March Point. The Swinomish Indian Tribal Community has contributed up to $825,000 annually to the district and helped it land grant monies that fund the popular CARES services.
“We very much appreciate those contributions, but they’re not guaranteed,” Weiss said. “It’s on a year-to-year basis, so it’s hard to plan. One thing about taxes is they’re standardized and predictable.”
As for the refineries, which employ their own fire battalions, they often — though not always — provide the district with support for needed equipment and services.
Post-COVID increases
Since COVID-19, the district has incurred labor cost increases to retain personnel, Weiss said. During the pandemic, urban fire departments faced significant staff losses to retirements. District 13 was frequently tapped for firefighters and EMTs (emergency medical technicians) to fill those openings.
“We had 12 of 14 positions that we had to replace when they left for positions at those larger departments,” he said. “So, we had to boost our part-time pay to be more competitive with other departments.”
District 13 also needs to upgrade an aging firefighting apparatus, some units dating to the 1980s and 1990s. The district paid off the balance this year on a new Florida-built Pierce model tender rig. A new replacement fire engine will also soon be needed, Weiss said.
“We’re all safer with new equipment,” he said.
Bill Reynolds is a general assignment reporter for La Conner Community News.
