HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025 - Fire Protection District 18 Proposition 2025-10 Property Tax Levy for Fire Protection and Emergency Medical Services - General and Special Election November 05, 2025Whatcom County
Auditor's Office
Whatcom County Courthouse
311 Grand Avenue, Suite 103
Bellingham, WA 98225-4038
December z, 2025
Election Results Receipt
Stacy Henthorn
County Auditor
Amy Grasher
Chief Deputy Auditor
Copies of the following proposition election results from the November 4, 2025 General and Special
Election, have been delivered to the Assessor's and Treasurer's Office:
e City of Blaine, Proposition 2025-07, Reduction of City Limits
0 Bellingham School District 501, Proposition 2025-05, Supplemental Operations Levy
® Bellingham School District 501, Proposition 2025-o6, Facilities Maintenance Levy
® Lynden School District 504, Proposition 202-5-09, General Obligation Bonds
® Fire Protection District 7, Proposition 2025-o8, Restoring Regular Property Tax Levy
Fire Protection District 18, Proposition 2025-10, Property Tax Levy for Fire Protection
and Emergency Medical Services
ReceiDtACkjigWm f.
Assessor's Office:
1
Rebecca Xczar
Treasurer's Office:
Steven Oliver
Date
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Date
Summary Report Page: 1 of 1
Whatcom County, Washington, GENERAL 2025, Nov 04, 2025 2025-11-24
All Precincts, All Districts, All Counter Groups, All ScanStations, Fire Protection District 18 Prop
16:44:47
2025-10 Property Tax Levy, All Boxes
Total Ballots Cast: 628, Re istered Voters: 169242, Overall Turnout: 0.37%
Choice Votes Vote %
All Precincts
Fire Protection District 18 Prop 2025-10 Property Tax Levy (Vote for 1)
628 ballots (0 over voted ballots, 0 overvotes, 29 undervotes), 1803 registered voters, turnout 34.83%
Approved 415 69.28%
Reiected 184 30.72%
Total 599 100.00%
Overvotes 0
Undervotes 29
STATE OF WASHINGTON )
) ss
COUNTY OF WHATCOM )
A canvass of the votes cast by qualified voters in Fire Protection District 18 forthe district's submitted ballot measure
for the November 4, 2025 Special Election is complete.
The results of the election were duly canvassed by the Whatcom County Canvassing Board on November 25, 2025,
and the results of said canvass are above.
Dated this 2nd day of December, 2025, Bellingham, Whatcom County, Washington.
'S' e-,�
Stacy Henthor
County Auditor
Final Language
Ballot Title
Fire Protection District 18
Proposition 2025-10
Property Tax Levy for Fire Protection and Emergency Medical Services
The Board of Fire Protection District 18 adopted Resolution No. 2025-18 concerning a proposition to
fund and maintain District operations. This proposition to finance fire protection and emergency
medical services would establish the District's regular property tax levy in 2025 at an amount not to
exceed $1.10 per $1,000.00 of assessed valuation and authorize setting the limit factor at 105% for each
of the following five years. The maximum allowable levy in the final year would serve as the base for
subsequent levy limitations as provided in Chapter 84.55 RCW.
Should this proposition be:
Approved
Rejected
Explanatory Statement
Fire Protection District 18 provides fire protection and emergency medical services. The Fire District's
levy rate has dropped to approximately $0.66 per $1000.00 of assessed value. If approved by the voters,
this proposition will establish the District levy rate at $1.10 per $1,000.00 of assessed value in 2025 and
will allow the District to keep pace with inflation by establishing an annual growth factor of 5% per year
in 2026-2030. The Board of Commissioners has determined that this proposition is necessary to
maintain and provide an effective level of fire protection and emergency medical services.
_ Whatcom County Auditor's Office
Ballot Measure Coversheet
District Name: ""a+L wL r' r' �b�•. ;"5 `► L� )
District Address: kd��
Contact Person 1 Contact Person 2
Name & T' a Name & Title Q
Phone &email Li1"Q Phone & email
Brian Snure
Has your attorney prepared this ballot measure?
Name
206-824-5630; Brian@snurelaw.com Yes No
Phone & email
Resolution
Yes No
with original signatures or a certified copy
Explanatory Statement
prepared by your attorney, not to exceed 100 words Yes No
Committee Appointment Forms
separate forms for each committee Yes No
Completed Ballot Measure Coversheet Yes () No
Auditor's Office Use
Received In person
AUG Q 5 2025
Whatcom County Elections
Proposition/Initiative Number
Missing document(s):
I understand that the submittal deadline date for the missing
documents is and the Auditor's Office will
not begin processing this ballot measure until all documents
have been submitted.
14
WHATCOM COUNTY FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT NO. 18
RESOLUTION NO. '2t3'Z =1I
RESOLUTION PROVIDING FOR THE SUBMISSION OF LEVY
A RESOLUTION OF THE BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS OF WHATCOM COUNTY FIRE PROTECTION DISTRICT
NO. 18 PROVIDING FOR THE SUBMISSION TO THE QUALIFIED ELECTORS OF THE DISTRICT AT AN
ELECTION TO BE HELD WITHIN THE DISTRICT ON NOVEMBER 4, 2025 IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE
GENERAL ELECTION TO BE HELD ON THE SAME DATE, OF A PROPOSITION ESTABLISHING THE DISTRICT'S
PROPERTY TAX LEVY RATE AT $1.10 PER $1,000.00 OF TRUE AND ASSESSED VALUATION AND
ESTABLISHING A FIVE PERCENT LIMIT FACTOR SUBJECT TO OTHERWISE APPLICABLE STATUTORY
LIMITATIONS FOR THE FOLLOWING FIVE YEARS.
Background: WHEREAS, it is the judgment of the Board of Commissioners that it is essential and
necessary for the protection of the health and life of the residents of the District that the fire and
emergency medical services be provided by the District.
WHEREAS, The Board of Commissioners has determined that the accelerated demands for, and
increasing costs of, providing services will necessitate the expenditure of revenues for improved fire
protection operations, replacing apparatus and equipment, providing staffing and maintaining emergency
medical service levels in excess of those which can be provided by the District's regular tax revenue
levied at the current rate of approximately $.66 per $1,000.00 of assessed valuation of taxable property
within the District as limited by the 101 % limitation.
WHEREAS, The District experiences annual cost increases affecting its operations that reflect standard
inflationary indices and that consistently exceed the statutory 101 % limitation on tax levy increases.
WHEREAS, The District believes that it is reasonable to adopt a growth factor for years 2-6 of the levy
lid lift period at a rate of five percent per year to help the District keep up with inflation in Whatcom
County.
WHEREAS, the Board of Commissioners has determined that it is in the best interest of the District that
the maximum allowable levy in the final year of the levy authorized by this Resolution serve as the levy
base for purposes of applying the limit factor established by RCW 84.55.010 in subsequent years.
Resolution: NOW, THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the Board of Commissioners of Whatcom County
Fire Protection District No. 18 Whatcom County, Washington as follows:
Section 1. In order to maintain and increase the level of fire protection, prevention, emergency medical
services and the protection of life and property in the District, it is necessary for the District to operate
and maintain emergency fire and medical service vehicles, to acquire and improve station and other
capital facilities and to retain properly trained personnel equipped with proper firefighting and
emergency medical equipment.
Section 2. In order to provide the revenue adequate to pay the costs of providing adequate life protection
services and facilities as described in Section 1 and to maintain reserve funds sufficient to assure the
continuation of such services, the District shall, in accordance with RCW 84.55.050, remove the
limitation on regular property taxes imposed by RCW 84.55.010 and levy beginning in 2025 and collect
beginning in 2026, pursuant to RCW 52.16.130, RCW 52.16.140 and RCW 52.16.160, a general tax on
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taxable property within the District at a rate of $1.10 per $1,000.00 of assessed valuation subject to
otherwise applicable statutory limits.
Section 3. In order to provide the revenue adequate to pay the costs of providing adequate life protection
services and facilities as described in Section 1 and to maintain reserve funds sufficient to assure the
continuation of such services beyond 2025, the District has determined that the limit factor for the five
succeeding years shall be five percent. Such percentage shall be used to determine the actual levy rate,
subject to the maximum statutory rate of $1.50 per $1,000.00 of assessed valuation, in 2026-2030 for
collection in each subsequent year.
Section 4. The amount levied in 2030 shall serve as the District's tax levy base for purposes of applying
the limit factor established by RCW 84.55.010 in subsequent years.
Section 5. There shall be submitted to the qualified electors of Whatcom County Fire Protection District
No. 18 for their ratification or rejection, at an election on November 4, 2025, the question of whether or
not the regular property tax levy of the District should be established at $1.10 per $1,000.00 of true and
assessed valuation and be adjusted by 105% each year for the following five years, subject to otherwise
applicable statutory limitations. The Board of Commissioners hereby requests the auditor of Whatcom
County, as ex-officio Supervisor of Elections, to call such election, and to submit the following
proposition at such election, in the form of a ballot title substantially as follows:
Name of Jurisdiction: Whatcom County Fire Protection District No. 18
Proposition #: Proposition No. 1
Short Title: Property Tax Levy for Fire Protection and Emergency Medical Services.
Ballot Title: The Board of Whatcom County Fire Protection District No. 18 adopted
Resolution No:2�- concerning a proposition to maintain and adequately
fund District operations.
This proposition would finance fire protection and emergency medical
services by establishing the District's regular property tax levy in 2025 at an
amount not to exceed $1.10 per $1,000.00 of assessed valuation and authorize
setting the limit factor at 105% for each of the following five years. The
maximum allowable levy in the final year shall serve as the base for
subsequent levy limitations as provided by Chapter 84.55 RCW.
Should this proposition be: Approved ❑ Rejected ❑
Section 6. In accordance with RCW 84.55.050(1), the ballot measure shall require approval of a simple
majority of voters.
Section 7. The Board of Commissioners finds and declares that it is in the best interest of the District to
have information regarding the ballot measure included in the local voters' pamphlet. Furthermore, that
the appropriate costs thereof shall be paid for by the District. The Board of Commissioners further
authorizes and directs the Fire Chief to provide such information to the County Elections department for
inclusion and to take other actions as necessary to that end.
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Section 8. The Board of Commissioners hereby assigns to the Fire Chief or designee the task of
appointing members to a committee to advocate voters' approval of the proposition and to a committee
to prepare arguments advocating voters' rejection of the proposition.
Section 9. For purposes of receiving notice of any matters related to the ballot title, as provided in RCW
29A.36.080, the Board of Commissioners hereby designates the Fire Chief , or designee as the
individuals to whom the County Auditor shall provide such notice.
Section 10. The Chief is authorized to implement such administrative procedures as may be necessary
to carry out the directives of this resolution, including modifying the text of the ballot title and any other
text, language and/or descriptions relative thereto necessary to conform such ballot title, text, language
and/or descriptions to the intent of the parties, consistent with the objectives of this resolution.
Section 11. The Chief, or designee, is hereby authorized and directed, no later than August 5, 2025, to
provide to the County Auditor a certified copy of this resolution and the proper District officials are
authorized to perform such other duties or take such other actions as are necessary or required by law to
the end that the proposition described in this resolution appear on the ballot before the voters at the
November 4, 2025 election.
Section 12. If any section, subsection, paragraph, sentence, clause or phrase of this resolution is declared
unconstitutional or invalid for any reason, such decision shall not affect the validity of the remaining
portions of this resolution.
Section 13. Any act consistent with the authority and prior to the effective date of this resolution is
hereby ratified and affirmed.
Section 14. This resolution shall take effect and be in force immediately upon its passage.
Adoption: ADOPTED by the Board of Commissioners of Whatcom County Fire Protection District No.
18 at an open public meeting of such Board on the I-Z4 day of ]U.--,Le, 2025, the
following Board Members being present and voting:
4issionertnm
t
Commissioner
Commissioner
Secretary
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Election Date: November 4, 2025
Name of Jurisdiction Submitting Measure: Whatcom County Fire Protection District No. 18
Contact Name: Chief Troy Patrick
Daytime Contact Phone Number: (360) 383-6464
PROPOSITION NO. 1
BALLOT ISSUE EXPLANATORY STATEMENT
(100 word limit)
Whatcom County Fire Protection District No. 18 provides fire protection and emergency medical
services. The Fire District's levy rate has dropped to approximately $.66 per $1000 of assessed
value.
If approved by the voters, this proposition will establish the District levy rate at $1.10 per $1,000
of assessed value in 2025 and will allow the District to keep pace with inflation by establishing an
annual growth factor of 5% per year in 2026-2030.
The Board of Commissioners has determined that this proposition is necessary to maintain and
provide an effective level of fire protection and emergency medical services.
Prepared by: Brian K. Snure
Attorney for District
612 S. 227" St.
Des Moines, WA 98198-6836
(206) 824-5630