GRAHAM FIRE & RESCUE BENEFIT CHARGE: MAINTAIN FIRE & MEDIC ONE PAT DALE | FIRE CHIEF July 14, 2020
TONIGHT’S FOCUS: OUR FUNDING FUTURE • A more sustainable and stable funding future for Graham Fire & Rescue. • The “Benefit Charge.” 2
Our mission is to serve the PROFESSIONALISM community with these values in ACCOUNTABILITY mind: CARING 3
YOUR FIRE DEPARTMENT • Covers 70 square miles • Serves nearly 67,000 residents • 5 staffed stations, 1 volunteer station • 7,323 emergency calls (2019) • Our team: • 97 Firefighters/Paramedics • 16 Volunteer firefighters • 12 Admin & Support staff • 8 Support services volunteers 4
3 FIREHOUSE GOATS DRIP FRANKIE TORCH 5
THANK YOU, CITIZENS! In 2018, voters passed a Maintenance and Operations (M&O) Excess Levy for 2019 – 2022, that: The M&O Levy Hired 18 Firefighters currently supports about 15% of our operating budget each Purchased a New Water Tender year Trained 14 Volunteers 6
WSRB RATING • Washington State Surveying and Rating Bureau (WSRB). • Improved from a Protection Class 4 to a Class 3. • Puts Graham Fire & Rescue in the top 10% of fire departments in the state as it relates to property fire protection. The accomplishment ensures our residents and business should see reductions in their insurance premiums. 7
HOW ARE WE CURRENTLY FUNDED? • Regular Tax Levy: Fire Protection Districts have the authority to levy up to $1.50 per thousand dollars of assessed value. • EMS Levy: Fire Protection Districts also have the authority to levy up an additional $0.50 per thousand dollars of assessed value to provide emergency medical services. • M&O Levy: Temporary levy that exceeds the $1.50 regular tax levy limit and expires in 2022 if voters do not renew it or agree to an alternative funding source. 2020 Graham Fire & Rescue Property Tax Rates Fire Levy: $1.45 per $1,000 of assessed value (max rate = $1.50) EMS Levy: $0.50 per $1,000 of assessed value (max rate = $0.50) Excess Levy: $ 0.53 per $1,000 of assessed value Total: $2.48 per $1,000 of assessed value All levies are voter approved . 8
WHAT IS A BENEFIT CHARGE? A Benefit Charge is a fee based on structure size, use, required firefighting resources and other risk factors. • Larger structures which require a more complex fire response generally pay more. • The Benefit Charge is built around different categories of structures : • Residential • Commercial • Manufactured homes in mobile home parks • Multi-family 9
EXEMPTIONS • Religious institutional facilities • Nonprofits and public housing for seniors, low income residents and persons with disabilities • Vacant land and/or parcels with structures under 400 sq. ft. • Public schools • Publicly owned properties 10
WHY IS GRAHAM FIRE & RESCUE PROPOSING A BENEFIT CHARGE? • Maintains existing service as community and demand for service grows: 40% increase since 2010. • More fairly shifts costs to structures for which it costs more to provide fire service. For example, complex structures with on-site hazards pay more than simple, non-hazardous structures of the same size and property value. • Provides financial sustainability and stability by diversifying revenues to include both property taxes and the benefit charge, especially in a recession or period of high inflation. 11
HOW WILL A BENEFIT CHARGE IMPACT HOW MUCH I PAY FOR FIRE & EMS? Funding under Current Funding Proposed BC $2.48 per $1,000 A.V. • Fire Levy property tax • EMS Levy • Fire Levy (reduced max. of $1.50 • EMS Levy per $1,000 A.V.) and • M&O Levy • Benefit Charge 12
REVENUE COST SHIFT TO STRUCTURES REQUIRING MORE FIREFIGHTING RESOURCE As compared to an equivalent amount of property tax revenue, the benefit charge will collect less from residential and mobile home properties 6.00% 5.37% 4.00% 2.00% 1.15% -0.21% 0.00% Residential Mobile Home -2.00% Commercial Multi Family -4.00% -6.00% -5.89% Revenue Collected with Benefit Charge 13
HOW IS A BENEFIT CHARGE APPROVED? Implementing a Benefit Charge requires: • 60% voter approval, initially. • The initial term of the BC, if approved, is 6 years. • Reauthorization of the BC beyond 6 years requires another vote. • A simple majority of voters must approve a 6-or 10-year extension of the BC. • If a permanent extension is requested, 60% of voters must approve. 14
WHAT HAPPENS IF A BENEFIT CHARGE IS NOT APPROVED BY VOTERS? • The combined fire levy authorization will remain at $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed value • EMS levy authorization remains unchanged ($0.50 max per $1,000 of assessed value) • The M&O levy will remain in place for its full term through 2022. • As demand for service and operation costs rise, Graham Fire & Rescue will have to address budget gaps by seeking additional property taxes and/or changing how services are delivered. 15
HAVE OTHERS APPROVED A BENEFIT CHARGE? Voters approved Benefit Charges for seven other fire agencies in the Puget Sound: • Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority (Kent) • Valley Regional Fire Authority (Auburn) • Renton Regional Fire Authority • Central Pierce Fire & Rescue • King County Fire District 40 • Duvall-King County Fire District 45 • Woodinville Fire & Rescue 16
NEXT STEPS • The Board will consider a resolution requesting Pierce County place the benefit charge measure on the November 2020 ballot. • If proposed, ongoing public education and outreach regarding the Benefit Charge will take place until the election. • If 60% of the voters approve the Benefit Charge, residents will receive notice of their individual property 2021 Benefit Charge in November. • Property owners may appeal their benefit charge in December • Each property owner subject to the Benefit Charge will get a bill from the County Assessor for payment of the charge in 2021. • For more information, please visit www.GrahamFire.org or email BenefitCharge@GrahamFire.org 17
Thank You! YOUR SAFETY IS OUR PRIORITY For more information visit www.grahamfire.org Follow Us: facebook.com/grahamfire Pat Dale, Fire Chief Graham Fire & Rescue twitter.com/grahamfirewa pdale@grahamfire.org (253) 847-8811 instagram/graham_fire_rescue
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