Proposition 1 Districts

Skagit Fire Protection District 8 is asking to reestablish its property tax levy rate to $1.25 per $1000 of assessed valuation, and to authorize setting the limit factor to 103% for each of the upcoming 5 years.  This levy rate was previously approved by the voters in 2019, but due to the way junior taxing districts work, and the statutory 1% limit on property tax increases, the Fire District’s current levy rate has dropped to approximately $.90 per thousand in 2025.

 Why is Proposition 1 Needed

·   The need to replace aging apparatus. The cost of a new fire engine can be close to a million dollars today. 

·    NFPA Standard requires replacement of our SCBA’s (Self Contained Breathing Apparatus) this is required  firefighter safety equipment. The district currently has about 40 SCBAs at approximately $9000 each.

·     Skagit Fire Protection District 8 has had a long-standing agreement with the Sedro-Woolley Fire Department to provide fire protection in areas of the District not sufficiently covered by current District 8 station locations.  This year the city of Sedro-Woolley requested over a 100% increase in the cost of the agreement. the new agreement now exceeds over $550,000 with yearly increases for the next two years. The Commissioners are working hard to mitigate this impact by reorganizing operations and adding additional full time Firefighters.

·   The District is currently working on a more centralized location for a Fire Station to better serve our community.