Voters to decide Evergreen Fire levy

A spike in emergency calls, a revenue shortfall and a high rate of turnover is making it difficult to sustain emergency services in Evergreen, district officials report. According to Evergreen Fire Chief Craig Williams, the fire district has experienced a 224 percent increase in call volume over the past decade, while tax revenue has remained static.

The chief is hoping the community will vote to increase funding for emergency fire and medical services through a tax levy. “We recognize that it is never a good time to request additional tax funding, however with our current and projected call volume, we are struggling with how to continue providing current levels of service,” Williams said.

The proposed Evergreen Fire Department levy would replace a current levy set to expire on June 30, 2019. The current levy costs about $35.83 for the owner of a home valued at $200,000.

If the new levy passes, property taxes would increase to $168.46 annually for a home valued at $200,000 or $84.23 for per year for a home worth $100,000. The proposed permanent levy would also increase 3 percent each year to account for inflation. Evergreen Fire District volunteer board member John Faust voted in January to approve the special mail ballot election. The resolution was passed in a four to one vote.

Faust believes a property tax increase would measure up to the added safety for community members.

Evergreen’s emergency medical service has government and private contracts that bring in some revenue for the department, but aren’t enough to sustain the department, and can pull resources out of the Evergreen community, Faust said. The extra revenue would allow emergency personnel to become available to community members on a more consistent basis, he said. Current Emergency Medical Services staff funding only provides enough to compensate below industry standard wages for two people per day and doesn’t include any health care or retirement coverage, according to the department. Due to this, some Evergreen Fire representatives are afraid the department is turning into a “training facility.”

“There are no benefits or retirement, so people come in to get experience and move on,” Faust said.

Faust said the staff and volunteers who have stuck around have done so because they really care about the department and the Evergreen community. “The Evergreen community has always been extremely supportive of us,” Williams said. “Through this support, we’ve been able to provide a high level of emergency services.”

A no vote would cause the department to continue to struggle against the weight of aging equipment and minimal staffing while emergency calls are only expected to increase, he said. Evergreen tax levy ballots will be mailed out on March 20 and need to be returned by April 10.

“It’s ultimately going to be up to the taxpayers to decide if they want to fund it,” Faust said.

Reporter Breeana Laughlin can be reached at 758-4441 or blaughlin@dailyinterlake.com.