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Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Understaffed Pierce Co. fire agency asked voters for funds. Early results are in
Key Peninsula residents are deciding the fate of a measure to secure ongoing funding for their fire department's emergency medical services, as well as the top runners in a crowded race for fire commissioner this year. Key Peninsula Fire Department EMS levy results Early results in the Aug. 5 primary show that a measure to restore the Key Peninsula Fire Department's EMS levy rate to $0.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value was passing by a healthy margin Tuesday night. Proposition No. 1 - Multi-Year EMS Levy Lid Lift had 1,850 votes (62.46%) in favor and 1,112 votes (37.54%) against so far, according to the Pierce County Auditor. It requires a simple majority to pass. The next batch of election results is expected to be released at 4 p.m. Wednesday at Voters approved the $0.50 rate in 2019, but property tax laws have caused that rate to drop to $0.32 per $1,000 in assessed value, Fire Chief Nick Swinhart said in a video about the measure posted on the fire district's website. The measure also allows the district to adjust the levied amount up to 6% in the five subsequent years following 2026 as long as the rate doesn't exceed $0.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value, the Pierce County Voters' Pamphlet says. Typically, the amount that local jurisdictions can collect can't exceed 1% more than they collected the previous year, under state law, unless voters approve a levy lid lift to raise that cap. If the levy lid lift passes, a home valued at $500,000 will pay $250 for the year — an increase of $87.50 from the current rate — or a total of $20.83 per month, per month, according to a chart released by the fire department on social media. If the lid lift doesn't pass, the department will face a funding gap of about $900,000 in 2026, a resolution proposing the lid lift says. Reached via phone Tuesday evening, Key Peninsula Fire Department spokesperson Anne Nesbit said the department is 'extremely grateful and humbled,' describing the results as 'a comfortable margin straight out of the chute.' ' ... hopefullly it keeps trending in that direction,' she said. The fire district's proposed levy lid lift comes on the heels of several adjustments the district made to their budget after voters rejected an $800,000 maintenance and operations (M&O) levy last year for the first time since 2012. The funding gap led the fire department to leave a firefighter position vacant, as well as reduce their minimum daily staffing from seven to five personnel which sometimes forced them to temporarily close or 'brownout' one of their stations without enough firefighters to work shifts, The News Tribune reported. Nesbit told The News Tribune in advance of the primary that the EMS levy would reverse some of those effects by allowing the fire department to restore their minimum daily staffing to seven, eliminating the need for brownouts, and fill several vacant firefighter positions. The failure of the M&O levy last year came amid rising tensions between the district fire commissioners and residents who disagreed with the department's decision to purchase three parcels of property near their Key Center headquarters for $2.1 million in 2021, using money from a low-interest loan. The board of commissioners had planned to build a new station, training facility and health clinic on the land, but some residents in the months following spoke out, saying they believed the decision was fiscally unwise. Some residents expressed their feelings at town halls and Q&As that at times became heated as the board sought to gather public input on how to proceed. Key Peninsula Fire Commissioner Pos. No. 1 results Early results showed Colleen Marie Mullen and Gretchen Schneider leading the primary for the Key Peninsula Fire Department's open seat on their Board of Fire Commissioners. The top two vote-getters advance to the general election in November. Candidates Gretchen Schneider, Jennifer Dow, Colleen Marie Mullen, Josh Johnson and Ed Bressette, Jr. are running for Position No. 1 to replace Commissioner Cambria Queen, who was selected by the board to serve from 2024-2025 for the remainder of Frank Grubaugh's term, according to the Key Peninsula Fire Department website. Tuesday's vote count showed Colleen Marie Mullen had 897 votes (32.76%) and Gretchen Schneider had 676 votes (24.69%) shortly after 8 p.m. Tuesday, according to the Pierce County Auditor. Josh Johnson received 566 votes (20.67%), Ed Bressette, Jr. received 498 votes (18.19%) and Jennifer Dow received 78 votes (2.85%). Less than 1% of ballots were cast for write-in candidates. The new commissioner will join the rest of the board in working toward a decision on the future of the Key Center properties, among fulfilling the other duties of the board. State law dictates that a board of fire commissioners 'has the power and duty to adopt a seal of the district, to manage and conduct the business affairs of the district, to make and execute all necessary contracts, to employ any necessary services, and to adopt reasonable rules to govern the district and to perform its functions, and generally to perform all such acts as may be necessary to carry out the objects of the creation of the district.' Pierce County Fire Protection District No. 16 serves a peninsula spanning some 65 square miles, the district website says. The population is about 19,000 residents, according to the most recent U.S. Census data for the four approximate ZIP code areas included in the fire department's service area. The district had total revenues of about $12.7 million in 2025, according to their budget. They have six fire stations in Wauna, Wright Bliss, Key Center, Home, Longbranch and Herron Island. The Wauna, Home and Longbranch stations are staffed 24-hours, and others are staffed as needed by volunteers. Administrative staff work from the Key Center station during the week. Visit The News Tribune's live election results page for more Pierce County primary results. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Pierce County fire agency with ‘brownouts,' firefighter vacancies seeks funding
After months of temporary station closures, staff vacancies and contentious Q&As, the Key Peninsula Fire Department is again asking voters to pass a ballot measure that would reverse the effects of a failed levy last year. The measure on the Aug. 5 ballot would raise property taxes for residents back up to 50 cents per $1,000 in assessed property value in 2026, per the Pierce County Voters' Pamphlet. Voters approved that rate in 2019, but property tax laws have caused that rate to drop to 32 cents per $1,000 in assessed value, Fire Chief Nick Swinhart said in a video about the measure posted on the fire district's website. The measure is called a 'levy lid lift' because it allows jurisdictions to lift the 1% cap on how much more property tax revenue they can collect each year. The 1% cap, mandated by the state, automatically drives down the levy rate each year as property values increase, to ensure that the jurisdiction doesn't collect over 1% more than it collected in the previous year. It requires a simple majority to pass. If it does, a home valued at $500,000 will pay $250 for the year — an increase of $87.50 from the current rate — or a total of $20.83 per month, per month, according to a chart released by the fire department on social media. Swinhart said in the video that Key Peninsula Fire crews responded to 2,864 calls last year, over 70% of which 'were medical emergencies, heart attacks, strokes, accidents or serious falls.' EMS levy funding goes toward these calls, he said. The levy 'supports the paramedics and EMTs who respond to your calls, the ambulances that they drive to the calls, and the equipment that they use,' he explained. In November 2024, voters turned down a maintenance and operations (M&O) levy that had been approved in each four-year cycle since 2012, The News Tribune reported. In public meetings and town halls following the vote, some residents said they had concerns about the fire department's fiscal management and transparency after the purchase of three parcels in Key Center in 2021. The fire department bought the properties with a low-interest loan rather than drawing on funds from their budget, according to The News Tribune's reporting. The resulting loss of $800,000 from the failed M&O levy required the department to 'tighten (their) belts,' department spokesperson Anne Nesbit told The News Tribune. Following the levy failure, a January update from Swinhart posted on the agency's website noted that they left a vacant firefighter position open and reduced their daily minimum staffing from seven to five personnel, which allowed them to save on overtime costs but forced them to occasionally close one of their three staffed stations on days when they didn't have enough firefighters to work shifts. The Key Peninsula Firefighters Facebook account posted announcements of these temporary closures, or 'brownouts,' of the Longbranch station in January, February, April and May. If the EMS levy passes, the department will be able to eliminate those brownouts because they'll be able to restore their minimum daily staffing to seven, Nesbit said. They'll also be able to fill four vacant firefighter positions, which she wrote in a text message will bring their total number of firefighters to 33. At their next meeting on July 22, the Board of Fire Commissioners will consider a resolution to run the EMS levy on the November ballot, in case it doesn't pass in the August primary. If it passes in August, the fire district will 'pull it from the Pierce County docket to run in November,' she said. Five candidates for the district's Board of Fire Commissioners are also running in the Aug. 5 primary. The top two candidates will advance to the Nov. 4 general election. Whoever wins the general election will replace Cambria Queen, who was selected by the board in 2024 to fill a vacancy following a commissioner's resignation, according to the fire district website. Several candidates referenced fire district staffing, budgeting or transparency with taxpayer funds in their statements submitted for the Pierce County Voters' Pamphlet. One candidate, Jennifer Dow, did not submit any information for the voters' pamphlet. 'I will maintain the highest level of integrity the public deserves and open up transparency to what our tax dollars are being used for,' Gretchen Schneider, who has served 10 years as a paramedic, wrote. She also believes that commissioners need to 'work alongside the fire department's senior staff, and union to make significant reductions in fire/medical response times while still maintaining the safety and wellness of our first responders.' Colleen Marie Mullen, a former fire captain serving 22 years in the Minneapolis Fire Department and a U.S. Navy veteran medic, wrote she is 'committed to reducing response times and ensuring our fire stations are adequately staffed to protect and serve effectively.' She also hopes 'to introduce innovative water rescue and high-angle rescue programs, enhancing the safety and preparedness of our department,' she wrote. 'This vital role demands difficult financial decisions regarding staffing, equipment, facilities, and growth – a tall task with limited revenue,' Ed Bressette, Jr., wrote. After 30 years of working for the YMCA, including seven as association facility director, he would draw on 'extensive experience overseeing maintenance, capital projects, budgets, and strategic long-term planning,' he continued. The News Tribune also reached out to all five candidates for further comment. Only one candidate, Josh Johnson, responded in an email by Friday evening. He wrote that he is 'running to restore public trust in (the) fire district,' and anticipated the need to manage funds from the EMS levy if passed, which he believed likely. His priorities include rebuilding the fire district's volunteer program, increasing transparency around budget decisions, better planning ahead for funding shortfalls and looking for ways to 'reduce costs without compromising core services.' Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
20-07-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Pierce County fire agency with ‘brownouts,' firefighter vacancies seeks funding
After months of temporary station closures, staff vacancies and contentious Q&As, the Key Peninsula Fire Department is again asking voters to pass a ballot measure that would reverse the effects of a failed levy last year. The measure on the Aug. 5 ballot would raise property taxes for residents back up to 50 cents per $1,000 in assessed property value in 2026, per the Pierce County Voters' Pamphlet. Voters approved that rate in 2019, but property tax laws have caused that rate to drop to 32 cents per $1,000 in assessed value, Fire Chief Nick Swinhart said in a video about the measure posted on the fire district's website. The measure is called a 'levy lid lift' because it allows jurisdictions to lift the 1% cap on how much more property tax revenue they can collect each year. The 1% cap, mandated by the state, automatically drives down the levy rate each year as property values increase, to ensure that the jurisdiction doesn't collect over 1% more than it collected in the previous year. It requires a simple majority to pass. If it does, a home valued at $500,000 will pay $250 for the year — an increase of $87.50 from the current rate — or a total of $20.83 per month, per month, according to a chart released by the fire department on social media. Swinhart said in the video that Key Peninsula Fire crews responded to 2,864 calls last year, over 70% of which 'were medical emergencies, heart attacks, strokes, accidents or serious falls.' EMS levy funding goes toward these calls, he said. The levy 'supports the paramedics and EMTs who respond to your calls, the ambulances that they drive to the calls, and the equipment that they use,' he explained. In November 2024, voters turned down a maintenance and operations (M&O) levy that had been approved in each four-year cycle since 2012, The News Tribune reported. In public meetings and town halls following the vote, some residents said they had concerns about the fire department's fiscal management and transparency after the purchase of three parcels in Key Center in 2021. The fire department bought the properties with a low-interest loan rather than drawing on funds from their budget, according to The News Tribune's reporting. The resulting loss of $800,000 from the failed M&O levy required the department to 'tighten (their) belts,' department spokesperson Anne Nesbit told The News Tribune. Following the levy failure, a January update from Swinhart posted on the agency's website noted that they left a vacant firefighter position open and reduced their daily minimum staffing from seven to five personnel, which allowed them to save on overtime costs but forced them to occasionally close one of their three staffed stations on days when they didn't have enough firefighters to work shifts. The Key Peninsula Firefighters Facebook account posted announcements of these temporary closures, or 'brownouts,' of the Longbranch station in January, February, April and May. If the EMS levy passes, the department will be able to eliminate those brownouts because they'll be able to restore their minimum daily staffing to seven, Nesbit said. They'll also be able to fill four vacant firefighter positions, which she wrote in a text message will bring their total number of firefighters to 33. At their next meeting on July 22, the Board of Fire Commissioners will consider a resolution to run the EMS levy on the November ballot, in case it doesn't pass in the August primary. If it passes in August, the fire district will 'pull it from the Pierce County docket to run in November,' she said. Five candidates for the district's Board of Fire Commissioners are also running in the Aug. 5 primary. The top two candidates will advance to the Nov. 4 general election. Whoever wins the general election will replace Cambria Queen, who was selected by the board in 2024 to fill a vacancy following a commissioner's resignation, according to the fire district website. Several candidates referenced fire district staffing, budgeting or transparency with taxpayer funds in their statements submitted for the Pierce County Voters' Pamphlet. One candidate, Jennifer Dow, did not submit any information for the voters' pamphlet. 'I will maintain the highest level of integrity the public deserves and open up transparency to what our tax dollars are being used for,' Gretchen Schneider, who has served 10 years as a paramedic, wrote. She also believes that commissioners need to 'work alongside the fire department's senior staff, and union to make significant reductions in fire/medical response times while still maintaining the safety and wellness of our first responders.' Colleen Marie Mullen, a former fire captain serving 22 years in the Minneapolis Fire Department and a U.S. Navy veteran medic, wrote she is 'committed to reducing response times and ensuring our fire stations are adequately staffed to protect and serve effectively.' She also hopes 'to introduce innovative water rescue and high-angle rescue programs, enhancing the safety and preparedness of our department,' she wrote. 'This vital role demands difficult financial decisions regarding staffing, equipment, facilities, and growth – a tall task with limited revenue,' Ed Bressette, Jr., wrote. After 30 years of working for the YMCA, including seven as association facility director, he would draw on 'extensive experience overseeing maintenance, capital projects, budgets, and strategic long-term planning,' he continued. The News Tribune also reached out to all five candidates for further comment. Only one candidate, Josh Johnson, responded in an email by Friday evening. He wrote that he is 'running to restore public trust in (the) fire district,' and anticipated the need to manage funds from the EMS levy if passed, which he believed likely. His priorities include rebuilding the fire district's volunteer program, increasing transparency around budget decisions, better planning ahead for funding shortfalls and looking for ways to 'reduce costs without compromising core services.'
