Voters poised to reject renewal of Key Peninsula fire levy

LAKEBAY, Wash. — As votes continue to pour in, voters appear to have rejected the renewal of a property tax levy that helps fund Key Peninsula’s Fire Department.

As of Thursday’s update, the levy request had failed to meet the 60% necessary approval threshold.

The ballot request was not for a new tax levy. Rather, an approval would have continued an existing levy that the department must renew every four years.

Over the last ten years, calls have increased to Key Peninsula’s fire department by 65%, according to Chief Nick Swinhart.

“Our funding level on things like our maintenance and operations levy has remained the same,” he said.

Voters that KIRO 7 crews spoke to said money is just too tight.

“I don’t have any money and yet they’re wanting more, more, more,” said Joann Monson. “It’s too much for me.”

The levy currently generates $800,000 each year for the department for staffing, facilities and maintenance. Without it, Swinhart said cuts might be unavoidable.

“If we lower our number of staffing, it changes our response times,” he said.

That could increase the time it takes fire crews to respond to fires and medical calls.

“Things that everybody thinks about,” Swinhart said. “Heart attacks and strokes. People that fall and injure themselves. We have car accidents out here.”

The department plans to put the levy request back on the ballot in November.

It’s not the only department navigating the aftermath of a failed levy.

Voters also rejected a bond request from Pierce County’s Fire Protection District No. 10 (Fife). The money would have helped the department build a new fire station.

“The building that they’re responding out of right now is 70 years old,” said Jeff Jensen, Project Manager for Fire District No. 10. “It was originally designed for three pieces of apparatus, three fire trucks and now it has five in it and one has to park outside. We’ve just outgrown it.”

Jensen said diesel fumes are spreading into living areas, which isn’t healthy for firefighters to breathe.

With a new fire station, Jensen said the district could have built updated dorm spaces for firefighters too. Right now, it’s just “one big dorm room.”

Jensen said officials are considering their options before determining whether to put it back on the ballot for November.

©2024 Cox Media Group