South County Fire to hold benefit charge public hearing Nov. 9

The South County Fire Board of Commissioners will hold a public hearing Nov. 9 on the proposed 2022 benefit charge for the regional fire authority (RFA).

The special meeting of the board begins at 7 p.m. and will be held remotely using Zoom teleconferencing (Meeting ID 861 5293 4763). For instructions on how to provide public comments during the hearing, visit the South County Fire website meeting page, www.southsnofire.org/meetings. Comments can also be submitted in advance by email or voicemail to Board of Commissioners Executive Assistant Melissa Blankenship, mblankenship@southsnofire.org, 425-551-1251.

The benefit charge is set by the board of commissioners annually at an amount to support emergency service operations for the following year. The board is considering increasing the benefit charge by 2% in 2022. This would generate a total of about $114,000 in additional funding in the coming year.

The benefit charge was approved by RFA voters last year and implemented in 2021. Unlike traditional tax levies based on a property’s value, the benefit charge is tied to building size and use to factor in fire risk and service needs.

The benefit charge applies within the RFA, which includes the City of Lynnwood and communities in unincorporated southwest Snohomish County. It does not apply in the cities of Brier, Edmonds and Mountlake Terrace that contract with the RFA to provide their emergency services. These cities collect their own taxes and fees and use a portion to pay for the contract services provided by the RFA.

Learn more about the benefit charge on the South County Fire website.

 

 

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