Everett To Put EMS Tax Levy On Fall Ballot

Wednesday night the Everett City Council voted to put a measure on the fall ballot to lift the levy lid on the emergency medical service property tax.

The measure would restore the fifty cents per one thousand dollars valuation on property within the Everett City limits.

That fifty cents per one thousand dollars valuation rate was first authorized by voters in Everett back in 2010.

In their request for the levy lid lift Everett Fire officials say since 2010 property tax levy rates have actually decreased as property valuations have increased.

For 2018 the actual effective levy rate cited is forty cents per one thousand dollars and next year it will fall to thirty-nine cents per one thousand dollars.

Meanwhile the percentage of Emergency Medical Service calls that Everett Fire crews respond to is now at eighty percent.

The city says this means the EMS funds alone will not meet the cost of providing EMS service and money will have to come from the General Fund to cover the balance.

For a more detailed explanation check out the letter sent to council members by Everett Fire Chief Dave DeMarco.

Fire Chief Levy Lid Letter

The city says the impact of the levy lid lift on an average home in Everett valued at $350,000.00 is estimated to be $34.40 per year.

Chief DeMarco told the council the restoration of the levy to the fifty cents per thousand valuation that voters approved in 2010 would bring in around $1.8 million dollars a year and would adequately fund EMS with no need to approach voters for at least six years.

The council held a public hearing and no members of the public spoke. They then held a vote which was unanimous to put the measure before voters in Everett on the ballot in November.