Making the pitch: Voters guide statement for Bainbridge Fire Prop. 1

Published 1:42 pm Saturday, February 7, 2015

Bainbridge voters will cast ballots on two proposals from the Bainbridge Island Fire Department during the Feb. 10 Special Election.

Proposition 1 is a 9-cent increase to the Bainbridge Island Fire Department’s property tax levy.

If approved, it would increase the property tax levy rate (which is currently approximately 86 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation) to a levy rate of 95 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation and will establish a limit factor for the following five years that shall be 100 percent of the first-half to first-half Consumer Price Index for Urban Wage Earners and Clerical Workers (CPI-W) for the Seattle-Tacoma-Bremerton metropolitan area but shall be no lower than 1 percent.

The measure would amount to a $45 increase per year on the property tax bill for a $500,000 home, starting in 2015.

Here is the statement for Prop. 1 that appears in the Kitsap County Voters Guide. (No opposition statements against the proposition were submitted to the county Elections Division.)

Argument For the Measure

Many people may not be aware that the Phelps Fire Station (23) is rarely staffed leaving the Island’s North End exposed to unnecessary risk during an emergency. But this isn’t just a North End issue. It’s an island wide Issue. The lack of resources on the North End puts pressure on the entire emergency response system and must be addressed now.

65% of emergency calls come from mid-Island. The rest come from the South/North End Islanders. Bucklin Hill Station has 2 firefighter/EMTs and the remainder is deployed from Madison Station. In a North End emergency, responders come from these locations oftentimes relying on Poulsbo or NKF&R to be there first. The longer drive times leave residents exposed to unnecessary risk. Minutes can make a critical difference in saving lives.

The recent economic downturn reduced tax revenues tied to housing values. This directly affected emergency staff funding and prevented adequate staffing for the entire organization. 30% of the time, more than one emergency requires simultaneous response.

During these concurrent calls, our small volunteer core isn’t always available to help. These challenges plus the lack of resources at Phelps Station make it difficult to provide proper service levels across Bainbridge Island. Can you imagine serving our Island given this complexity?

We count on our Fire Department for our safety. We expect them to be there for us, so now we need to be there for them. Vote yes for the staffing levy.

Arguments prepared by the Committee For the Measure

Chairperson Gina Batali; Committee Member Cris Cannestra; Committee Member Shannon Lea.