Spokane County Fire District 9 will ask voters to approve both a levy lid lift and a $70 million bond this November.
The district covers about 125 square miles north of Spokane and Spokane Valley and participated in fighting the Spokane Complex Wildfires this summer. Its call volume has more than doubled since 2014.
The district’s Proposition 1, one of two measures that will appear on the general election ballot this fall, is a six-year levy lid lift. It would cost voters about $1.50 for every $1,000 of assessed property value — the maximum allowed under state law.
If the levy lid lift passes, the Board of Fire Commissioners is committed to reducing the district’s 2027 maintenance and operations levy by $0.20. That would bring the district’s monthly levy rate to approximately $26.92 per month, based on a home valued at around $500,000.
The district last approved a fire levy at the $1.50 rate decades ago. As Spokane County has grown, that rate has drifted down, or “eroded,” said District 9 Fire Chief Matt Vinci.
“Unfortunately, when we haven't had the revenue to support the infrastructure and add those additional vital needed pieces of equipment, we’ve seen how our equipment has aged [and] the results of not having the right resources in place,” Vinci said. “So giving us the additional resources, we will ensure that we give [taxpayers] a really strong return on [their] investment when it comes to emergency services in District 9.”
Vinci said that over 50% of the funds raised annually through the proposed levy would go toward replacing fire apparatus like ladder trucks.
“Our members are riding on 10-plus, 15-year-old fire apparatus, and it's costing the taxpayers a lot to keep those trucks on the road,” Vinci said.
Matthew Von Steuben is the president of IAFF Local 2916. He said the levy funds will also allow the district to fund up-to-date personal protective equipment.
“Having the right equipment for the right task at hand and the proper protection is essential to ensuring we're providing an efficient and safe service to the citizens we serve,” he said.
The levy increase would also expand staffing, allowing District 9 to add three firefighters per shift.
The other measure on the ballot this fall, Proposition 2, is a capital bond that would cost voters about $0.39 per $1,000 of assessed property value.
Vinci said the district intends to use money from the bond to replace Station 99. The station was purchased as a temporary solution 17 years ago, and is now District 9’s busiest station.
The bond would also pay for additional station renovations, a fifth ambulance and a new training classroom for firefighters.
Vinci noted that if Spokane County property values continue to grow, the bond rate could come down in future years. He estimated that taxpayers’ monthly burden would start at around $16.34 for a $500,000 home.
Van Steuben said he knows that Prop. 1 and Prop. 2 are a big ask from a district that has not approved a regular fire levy lid lift in 45 years.
“It's a big need, and we know we're asking a lot from the community,” he said. “But it's a need that we have and a need we'll put to work in a good way.”