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The Spokesman-Review Newspaper
Spokane, Washington  Est. May 19, 1883

Millwood voters to decide fire service

Voters in Millwood will finally have the opportunity to decide the fate of the town’s fire service.

The Millwood town council approved a resolution March 7 to put the annexation with Spokane Valley Fire Department on the May 17 ballot.

The board of fire commissioners approved a similar resolution in February.

For the measure to pass, voters in the town and in the fire district will have to approve it.

“From what I’ve heard, I don’t think it will be a problem at all,” said Joe Dawson, fire commission chair. “I’m hearing positive things from Millwood … about our level of service.”

For years the town of about 1,700 relied on volunteer firefighters, until 2001 when voters approved a bond and levy measure to hire three full-time firefighters, build a new station and buy a firetruck and equipment.

Then last year, less than two years after the new station was built next to Town Hall, financial problems forced the council to seek fire protection from Spokane Valley Fire.

“I think financially it became a burden that was greater than they anticipated,” Dawson said.

Valley Fire – a large urban district that provides fire protection to Spokane Valley and Liberty Lake – completely surrounds Millwood.

The Millwood council signed a contract with Valley Fire for services last summer, paying the district $150,000 for the remainder of last year and $500,000 for this year.

In turn, Valley Fire took over the debt Millwood accrued to build the new station and buy the firetruck. It also agreed to hire Millwood’s three full-time firefighters and Chief Bill Clifford.

Valley Fire will lease the station until 2018, when the bonds are paid off, at which time it will buy the building for $1.

If Millwood is annexed, the town’s levy rate would likely decrease, but town residents would have to pay Valley Fire’s levy rate, which is about $3.19 per $1,000 assessed valuation.

Under current levy rates, Millwood is poised to provide about $600,000 in property taxes to Valley Fire each year if annexed. If the measure doesn’t pass, it’s likely the town would continue to contract for services with Valley Fire.