Fire District 6 seeks levy bump

A levy lift to support Clark County Fire District 6, which has seen record-high call volumes in recent years, will go to the voters in November.

The district commissioners voted unanimously on Tuesday to place a levy lid lift on the general election ballot, calling for the levy to be raised from $1.27 to $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed value for properties in the fire district. The district covers 64,000 people in a 37-square-mile area just north of Vancouver city limits.

Fire Chief Jerry Green said the district is scrambling under the weight of skyrocketing emergency call volumes. From June 1 to July 15, the district responded to 989 emergency calls, 13 percent more than in the same period of time last year. Overall, call volumes have increased by more than 31 percent in the last decade.

“With more calls comes added costs,” Green said. “We have drawn down reserves to maintain emergency service levels, but we can’t do that much longer. That’s why our board is asking voters to consider a levy lid lift in November.”

The fire district’s overall budget is $9,397,226, about 78 percent of which goes to salaries and benefits.

“Salaries and benefits are ‘boots on the ground’ delivery of emergency services, which is what the board of commissioners has been trying to maintain,” he said.

The district has cut expenses by $385,225, knocked its $1.7 million reserve fund down to $250,000 and postponed facility replacements. The levy increase would allow the district to replace aging engines and supplies, improve firefighter safety and training, and build a new fire station.

The general election is on Nov. 3. Ballots will start going out to voters on Oct. 16.