Spokane County

When an emergency happens, the last thing anyone wants to think about is whether their local fire services have the equipment and training needed to respond quickly. To that end, the board of the Spokane Valley Fire District has proposed Proposition No. 1, a replacement for the current levy that expires at the end of 2023. Passing the levy would allow the district to keep all stations open 24/7, ensure fast response times, hire additional firefighters and paramedics, and more.

If approved by voters, the district will implement a levy of $1.08 over four years per $1,000 of true and assessed value. This means that a homeowner of a $400,000 home could expect to pay about $432 a year. 

Passing this levy will help the district maintain current staffing as well as build a new training facility with space for a temporary crew to keep up with emergency demands. With 9 percent population growth since 2019 and a 78 percent incident volume increase since 2013, voters should say yes to Proposition No. 1 to continue to fund emergency medical and fire services for Spokane Valley.

One of the most important things in an emergency is that medical and fire personnel are able to arrive on time and equipped to help. Passing Proposition No. 1 would allow voters to maintain a high level of fire and emergency medical response to the growing community. The district's current Maintenance and Operations Levy will expire at the end of 2023, and the district's board of commissioners is asking voters to renew it for 2024 through 2027. 

If passed, this year's levy will continue to pay for firefighter and medical staff recruitment and training as well as upgrades on aging equipment and fire stations. At a rate of $0.50 per $1,000 of assessed value, which is the same as the current rate, the owner of a $300,000 home could expect to pay around $150 per year.

Call volume in the district is up by nearly 30 percent and nearly 2,000 residents have moved in the last four years. Vote Yes on Proposition No. 1 to continue to prepare EMTs and firefighting staff to serve our community in the years to come.