In February 2017, voters in the City of Montesano will consider a levy to fund fire service equipment, operations and improvements.
If approved, residents will pay an additional 94 cents per $1,000 in assessed value. The owner of a property worth $150,000 would see their property taxes increase by about $140.
During a budget presentation in November, the city had noted it anticipated the need for a levy. During that meeting, two levies had been discussed.
At the council’s Dec. 13 meeting, Councilman and finance committee Chairman Tyler Trimble noted the levies had been combined. And while property owners will pay slightly more per year (about 10 cents more) than if the levies were split, the combined levy will result in a shorter term. The combined levy will last 10 years instead of 15.
Montesano Fire Department Chief Corey Rux presented an extensive list of what the levy would be spent on, if approved.
“The equipment we’re looking at replacing is a 1991 fire engine, two ambulances — one that is 11 years old and another that is going to be due for replacing in 2018, 2019. Four modern defibrillators… pagers and radios,” Rux said. “We have old, outdated pagers and radios that have a high failure rate, so we need to replace those.”
The levy unanimously was approved to go to voters by the council following the approval of the 2017 general fund. The council made only one last-minute change to the budget, removing a utility fee that would have collected funding for street repair materials (hot patch and equipment).
Trimble said the finance committee felt the city couldn’t ask residents to approve a levy and pay additional fees in the same year.
“We don’t feel that the citizens are ready to take a blow times two,” Trimble said. “We feel the levy lid is more important than adding $2 per month per house.”
With that utility fee removed (the fee would have generated some $42,000), the city’s 2017 general fund is budgeted to end the year with a $136,895 surplus. Despite the decrease in ending cash with the levy removed, Councilman Dan Wood, who has been outspoken about the city’s budget, praised the work of the city, both in 2016 and looking forward.
The city had been faced with a shortfall early in 2016. Following cuts, layoffs, and delayed purchases, the city has rebounded from that shortfall to finish with a surplus of about $136,000.
“We were heading for about a quarter-million dollars in the red prior to making adjustments in the 2016 budget that was adopted last year,” Wood said. “If you think about where we were in March or April, and now we’re looking at $136,000… that fund balance should be $400,000 to $500,000 for long-term health, and I think we’re going to get there, but we have swung this budget $386,000 (from shortfall to surplus).”
As for the levy, Wood said the need for the levy was caused by a lack of planning by past councils.
“Mayors and councils in the future need to not kick the can down the road to where equipment is beyond its expected level of service before we put something on the ballot,” he said. “I know the fire chief has made that plea before, and it just hasn’t happened for whatever reason.”
