Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue will ask the community to consider a levy lid lift for emergency medical services (EMS) on the August 4 ballot. If approved, the levy would restore funding levels to the previously approved $0.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value. This funding directly supports our community, funding the services, programs and equipment to respond to residents' emergency calls and provide the preventative measures that keep our community safe.
Voter approval would restore the EMS levy funding to 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value from the current 26 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value.
A property with an assessed value of $750,000 would pay an increase of about $15 per month, or $180 per year.
To calculate your estimated annual EMS levy based on assessed property value:
Assessed value can be different from market or sale value and is provided by the county.
Levies provide a set amount of funding each year. As property values increase or more properties are built in the district, the rate per property collected decreases. Due to changes in our community, the rate our district collects had decreased to $0.26, nearly half of the approved rate of $0.50.
To keep up with changes in our community, SRFR and fire districts around the state are allowed to increase their levy rate by just 1% each year. Amounts above 1% must be approved by our community.
To help maintain current emergency medical services and plan for future needs, this measure allows funding to increase slightly each year for five years, based on inflation or 1%, whichever is higher. This adjustment helps keep pace with rising costs and ensures continued service beyond 2027, while keeping the tax rate at or below 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value through 2031 without SRFR needing to return to voters for the duration of the six-year EMS levy.
SRFR responds to an average of 16,000 emergency calls each year, most of which are for emergency medical services. Requests for emergency medical services have increased as with growth in our community.
Funding from this levy is used for training, medical equipment, and to maintain response times.
Did you know that most fire districts do not receive funding from the city, county, or state? SRFR is primarily funded through local property taxes, such as local levies.
With increased funding uncertainty from federal programs, local levies help ensure that we can continue offering reliable services for our community.