The Board of Fire Commissioners for Clark County Fire District 6 will meet July 7 and July 21 to consider asking voters to restore funding for emergency services. As a captain and paramedic with Clark County Fire District 6, I want to encourage the board to pass the resolution to place a “levy lid lift” on the November election ballot.
Call volumes have increased by 31.25 percent in 10 years — 10 percent in the past year alone. The more calls we go on, the more it costs for things like response vehicles, fuel, supplies and equipment. To meet these expenses, our fire district has cut its budget by $385,000, postponed replacing engines and stations, and spent cash reserves — all to maintain emergency service levels for our community.
At this point, our reserve funds are too low to provide any real safety net for our community. Engines, response vehicles and emergency equipment are breaking down more often and need to be replaced. Our fire levy rate has fallen from $1.50 to $1.27 per $1,000 of assessed valuation since 1995. Let the voters decide whether to “lift the lid” back to $1.50 in November by approving the resolution.
Ryan Reese
Vancouver
