Fire District 1 Voters Asked To Lift Levy Lid

Residents of Fire District 1 in southern Stevens County will be asked Nov. 7 to lift the state-set 6 percent limit on annual increases in the district’s property tax levy.

Fire Chief Dave Phillips said lifting the levy lid would allow the district to resume collecting the maximum rate of $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed value that voters approved two years ago. Since then, he said, properties in the district were reappraised and soaring values caused the levy rate to slip to $1.10.

Although revenue still increases 6 percent a year, Phillips said there has been a larger increase in emergency calls and in the level of service residents expect. He said the extra money is needed to replace or renovate some of the district’s aging fire stations and to upgrade equipment.

The district serves about 15,000 residents in the southern part of the county, including the communities of Suncrest, Tum Tum, Springdale, Ford, Clayton, Loon Lake and Deer Lake. , DataTimes