The South King Fire & Rescue Board of Fire Commissioners is informing their citizens of an important ballot measure that will be occurring on April 17th, 2012.

South King Fire & Rescue, the fire district serving the nearly 150,000 citizens throughout the Greater Federal Way and Des Moines areas, will be placing an excess levy ballot measure before our citizens at a special election on that date.

This ballot measure, referred to as Proposition One from the fire district, would authorize the fire district to collect $3.5 million annually at an approximate rate of $0.29 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. This increase in our revenue would occur for a four year period covering 2013 through 2016.

The proposition is presented to allow our citizens the opportunity to maintain current fire department services and personnel. In addition, it will allow the district to re-staff an aid car for emergency responses, which has been closed due to decreased revenues the past few years.

The fire district has lost over 22 percent of its annual revenue since 2009 due to the nationwide recession and loss of property values. This equates to nearly $6 million in lost annual revenue, without any corresponding reduction in necessary emergency services being required by the citizens we serve.

This reduction in revenue has necessitated major cutbacks in service levels and personnel, including the elimination of virtually all public education programs, the closure of one emergency aid car (an aid unit in the Twin Lakes area) and reducing another to part-time status (an aid unit near the core and frame of downtown Federal Way), the layoff of four employees, and a total of 23 departmental vacancies (including thirteen front line firefighters whose positions have been eliminated through attrition).

These reductions have led to longer emergency response times, which directly relate to increased loss of life and destruction of property value.

We are extremely fortunate that our firefighters and officers, covered by IAFF Local #2024, have been willing to concede pay increases both in 2011 and 2012. In addition, administrative and support staff salaries remain frozen at 2010 levels. Reserves have been utilized to fill the widening gap of our income as compared with our expenditures.

But, those reserves are dwindling and the gap is widening to a projection of over $2 million in 2013, and potentially larger as property values continue to erode. Without added revenue we will need to further reduce our staff with severe cuts to service and personnel. That is why the Board of Fire Commissioners has unanimously placed an excess levy before our citizens to consider on April 17th, 2012.

Approval of the excess levy will provide a specific amount of funds ($3.5 million annually) to the fire district to maintain the current level of services without additional cuts in 2013 through 2016. It will further allow the part-time aid unit to become staffed full-time once again. Rejection of the excess levy would lead to additional reductions in service levels and programs, the layoff of additional fire department personnel, potential elimination of special emergency services such as rescue and hazardous materials teams, and similar cutbacks. Whatever choice our citizens make, we will do our best to provide them emergency services when they call 9-1-1.

The times are difficult for all our citizens. They are also difficult for your fire department. The excess levy funding methodology was chosen as it provides a specific amount of money to the department to maintain services, while costing the average homeowner of a $200,000 home approximately $5 per month (less than $60 per year). This investment in your fire department will maintain our services for you. Rejection means we will have to move forward with additional cuts in service. Whatever the choice, we continue to be proud of our entire department and the service we provide day in and day out.