Smith Valley Fire levy rejected

For the second time in a year, Smith Valley voters have rejected a mill-levy request that would have raised $450,000 annually for the Smith Valley Fire Department.

The Department’s Board of Trustees sought a permanent levy of up to 48.91 additional mills per year to increase the number of paid staff.

Vote totals were similar to the 2018 results when 848 voted against and 586 were in favor. In the this year’s vote, 883 were against the levy and 562 were for it, according to information from the Flathead County Election Department.

“We were pretty disappointed,” Smith Valley FD Trustee Rod Gillman said. “We talked about a lower amount, but we didn’t want to keep coming back every few years for more.”

Gillman said after hearing that many people didn’t have a good understanding of the levy request in 2018, they felt they did a better job of spreading the word and talking to people.

He also said when the Trustees meet again, they will consider making a different levy request.

According to information from the Smith Valley Fire Department, it is a “combination department” that provides fire protection and suppression, rescue, and emergency medical services to approximately 5,800 residents. The staff currently consists of 14 volunteers and two paid full-time firefighters and EMS providers who respond to a variety of 911 dispatch calls in the district.

There are currently no staff members at the station on nights and weekends, because the two paid staff members work Monday through Friday 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. During the time stretches when the paid staff aren’t working, volunteers respond from home instead — a process that leads to slower response times.

The impact of levying 48.91 mills on a home valued at $100,000.00 would have been about $66.02 in additional property taxes per year. The impact of levying 48.91 additional mills on a home valued at $200,000.00 would have been approximately $132.05 in additional property taxes per year.

According to a previous Daily Inter Lake story, the need arose for more staff when a private ambulance company that covered Smith Valley and Kila chose to end its contract with the fire department in 2015, according to Beick. The fire department board elected to provide advanced life support transport and bought one ambulance.

Smith Valley Fire Department covers a 69 square-mile area west of Kalispell and has mutual-aid agreements with departments in Kalispell, West Valley, South Kalispell and Marion.

Smith Valley’s last bond request was about 11 years ago, and its approval allowed the department to build a new fire hall.

The Board of Trustees said volunteers have gradually decreased while emergency calls have increased.

Reporter Scott Shindledecker may be reached at 758-4441 or sshindledecker@dailyinterlake.com.