PORT TOWNSEND — A divided City Council on Monday night voted down seeking voter approval of a tax increase for firefighting services, instead supporting annexation of the city into the larger East Jefferson Fire-Rescue district.
The council had unanimously approved a resolution March 1 calling for an April 27 election to ask voters to reinstate the city’s emergency medical services levy through a process known as a levy lid lift.
Fire Chief Gordon Pomeroy said funding for EMS was the district’s most critical staffing need.
Council members voting Monday night for seeking the general fund levy lid lift were members of the joint city and fire district board — Laurie Medlicott, Mark Welsh and David King — who all said they saw an immediate need for funds to support firefighting operations.
Those voting not to place the levy lid lift on the ballot were Mayor Michelle Sandoval, Deputy Mayor George Randels and council members Kris Nelson and Catharine Robinson.
Annexation discussion
The council’s split vote came with the understanding that more discussion on annexation into the larger fire district will take place before an Aug. 17 election is called.
Randels, who said it would be more difficult to pass a general levy lid lift if voters rejected it in April, made the motion to discuss annexation further.
“I am persuaded of the need,” Randels said. “It’s just that we need more tools to convince the public.”
Some council members questioned if voters could be supportive of a new tax given harsh economic times.
Hold lid lift for 2011
If the council decided to put annexation on the ballot, then it could add the general fund levy lid lift to provide funding in 2011 until annexation funding is generated for 2012, Randels said.
“I know that annexation at first would have been the right route to go,” Pomeroy told the council, but he said he also saw serious budget issues that put the fire district in the red last year by more than $900,000.
The district then made cutbacks to reduce its deficit to $250,000, he said.
Citing that the emergency medical services levy was the most critical levy lid lift proposal, Pomeroy said that when it came to a second lid lift for the general fund: “We can work around that.”
Pomeroy said last Friday the district had only three firefighter-EMS staffers after three ambulance calls required six emergency personnel to transport patients to Harrison Medical Center in Bremerton because Jefferson Healthcare hospital could not accept them.
He said he needs at least four more firefighter-paramedics to meet growing demand.
Sandoval said her support for annexation over seeking the general fund levy lid lift was no slight to the district or fire chief.
“It’s just about timing,” she said, citing other tax issues that could come up in the future, including a Port Townsend School District levy replacement proposal.
“I truly think that the annexation issue needed to be more broadly discussed,” Sandoval said.
Outside city limit
The city now does not have a fire levy to set, not being a part of the East Jefferson Fire-Rescue district.
Sandoval said now is the time for the fire district outside the city limit to sell the EMS levy lid lift proposal to the voters, with the city’s support.
The council called the special meeting Monday to consider the general fund levy lid lift ballot to try to meet a March 12 cutoff date for setting the April 27 election.
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Port Townsend-Jefferson County Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.
