(The Center Square) – With the primary and special election coming up for King County, Tukwila voters will be tasked with passing the annexation into the Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority.
If voters approve the ballot measure, the city expects significant revenue and expenditure changes in 2025, according to the city’s current budget. These changes include $14.2 million reduction in contract expenditures with the Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority, $859,000 reduction in fire department revenues as the revenues would transfer to the authority, and the ability to utilize property tax levy capacity to unfreeze nearly 10 Full-time positions.
The city’s budget estimates that the positive net impact to Tukwila taxpayers could be approximately a $7 million reduction in property taxes, if the ballot measure passes. It would also allow policy makers a choice on how to implement the reserve policy. Since revenues will decrease, the policy allows reserves to decrease as well.
Regional fire authorities are used by some cities to allow for the full funding of fire and emergency medical services. Other South King County cities that are annexed into regional fire authorities include Renton, Auburn, Kent and Federal Way. Fire and emergency medical services in Tukwila currently make up 21% of the city’s budget, and are the second highest expense after police services.
Regional Fire Authorities use two separate funding mechanisms, a property tax levy and a fire benefit charge, otherwise known as a “fire fee.” The fee is based on factors like size, type and risk of structures. The Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority provides an example on its website, in which a commercial office building will have a smaller benefit charge than an industrial location that houses flammable or other hazardous chemicals, even if the buildings have the same size or assessed value.
Tukwila Mayor Allan Ekberg said in a letter to residents that the city has lost revenue sources over the years, and annexation would provide a key dedicated revenue source for fire and emergency medical services. and the PSRFA has the ability to provide a higher level of service to the Tukwila Community due to the economies of scale associated with a “regional approach.”
“Simply put, the City of Tukwila – like other cities – has a structural imbalance where our revenues do not match our expenses, particularly when our revenue growth is constrained by state law and consumer behavior,” Ekberg said in a letter attached to the city’s 2023-2024 budget.
If annexation is passed by voters on Aug. 1, the Fire Benefit Charge and Puget Sound Fire levy would begin Jan. 1, 2025.
