State Award Alleviates Budget Uncertainties

Philip Haner, Fire Commissioner
Captain, High Prairie Fire Department

It has been brought to the attention of the High Prairie Fire Department (HPFD) that since we now have a way of paying for the new fire station, the question might come up about the increased levy that the taxpayers approved several years ago which was intended to fund the new station. I will start by saying that anyone interested in finding the answers to any questions about the Fire District should attend a Commissioner’s meeting on the third Tuesday of the month at 7pm in the Struck Road Fire Station. They are public meetings and anyone is encouraged to attend with questions or comments.

Fire Commissioners realized in 2012 that we would not be able to fund a new station, District-wide operations and maintenance, and the added insurance premiums on the Schilling Road fire station without additional tax revenue from district property owners. We proposed a levy increase with the intended increase to our annual budget of approximately $15,000. The proposed levy would fall within the same range of rates other fire districts in the county collect. In February 2013, the taxpayers in our district approved the increase by popular vote; but as the levy increase was based on a rate (dollars per thousand) and property values dropped dramatically that year, our levy (the total amount collected from property taxes) was lower than anticipated by about $4,000. This means our new levy increased the fire district budget by $11,000 per year for a total budget of $39,410 per year (2018).

Prior to the announcement that HPFD would be awarded the funds from the Washington State Capital Budget of 2017, the HPFD plan was to get a 40-year loan for the Schilling Road Fire Station. That loan would require approximately $11,000 per year in payments. The loan payments, along with the other standard bills needed to run a fire department, would have left the fire district without a reliable means to provide the maintenance and upgrades to buildings and equipment that are needed and required to keep HPFD running safely and smoothly. The HPFD can now budget these needs including equipment repairs and replacement of apparatus, Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA airpacks), turnouts, and other tools without running short of the operating funds needed to keep the District running and High Prairie and its surroundings protected.

Again, I encourage anyone with questions about how the Fire District is operating to attend a Commissioner’s Meeting the third Tuesday of each month. Anyone interested in volunteering should attend a drill night either the 2nd or 4th Tuesday of each month. All meetings and drills are at the Struck Road Fire Station.

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