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North County Fire seeks funds

North County Regional Fire Authority has announced that Proposition No. 2, requesting an increase in property taxes to restore the emergency medical services levy to 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation, will run on the May ballot, along with the proposed bond to pay for a new library in Arlington.

Prop. 2 asks residents of North County Fire/EMS, formerly knows as Fire Districts No. 14 in Warm Beach and No. 18 in Bryant to restore the emergency medical services levy to 50 cents per $1,000 assessed valuation the same rate approved by voters a few years ago.

The reason why this levy is facing voters again is due to Washington state initiatives that set a one percent limit on property tax increases. This has caused the EMS levy rate to drop a few cents each year from 50 cents authorized by the voters to 33 cents today.

Funding from the levy will be used to continue current service levels and allow the authority to hire an additional firefighter/paramedic to help maintain vital services.

Three out of the five fire stations in North County Bryant, Freeborn and Warm Beach are staffed 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All firefighters are certified as either emergency medical technicians or paramedics.

These funds are also used to purchase much needed Medic Units that are equipped to provide advanced lifesaving care and are based at neighborhood stations throughout the District.

Prop. 2 is not a new tax. It is a change of the current EMS levy -- restoring its rate to the same rate approved by voters a few years ago, i.e. 50 cents per $1,000 of assessed valuation.

The proposed levy brings the rate from 33 cents back up to 50 cents or approximately $49.50 per year for the owner of a home valued at $300,000.

For information on Prop. No. 2 call Battalion Chief Christian Davis at 425-754-4342.

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