(The Center Square) – The City of Tukwila is nearing annexation into the Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority as 56% of voters approve the ballot measure.
Regional fire authorities are used by some cities to allow for the full funding of fire and emergency medical services. Tukwila would join other South King County cities annexed into regional fire authorities including 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. If annexed into the authority, the city expects significant revenue and expenditure changes in 2025, according to the city’s current budget. These changes include a $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.
Annexation would also allow the city the option to maintain other services and avoid budget cuts that could reduce or eliminate programs. This includes programs such as recreation, street cleaning and litter pick up, police staffing, human services funding, communications, rental housing inspections, parking enforcement, and investments in infrastructure such as roads and bridges, according to the city.
Tukwila Mayor Allan Ekberg said in a letter to residents that the city has lost revenue sources over the years, and that annexation into the Puget Sound Regional Fire Authority would provide a key dedicated revenue source for fire and emergency medical services.
Ekberg added that the authority has the ability to provide a higher level of service to the Tukwila community than the city’s fire department due to the economies of scale associated with a “regional approach.”
Regional Fire Authorities use two separate funding mechanisms, a property tax levy and a fire benefit charge, otherwise known as a “fire fee.” The levy has a maximum rate of 96 cents per thousand of assessed value, according to the authority.
The fire 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.
The Fire Benefit Charge and Puget Sound Fire levy would be set to begin on Jan. 1, 2025 if the latest election results hold.
The race for the ballot measure has not been called at the time of this publication. The Center Square reached out for comment from the Tukwila Finance Department but has not yet received a response.
