PORT LUDLOW – Voters in Jefferson County Fire District No. 3 will be asked to allow lid lifts on two permanent levies on Feb. 6.
Voters will be asked if they want to increase the amount collected from the permanent fire and emergency medical service levies.
In 1998, voters approved a fire levy of $1.50 for every $1,000 of assessed property valuation.
In 2001, voters approved an emergency medical services levy of 50 cents for every $1,000 of assessed property valuation.
Since, the levy amounts have dropped to $1.38 for the fire levy and to 46 cents for the emergency medical services levy.
That’s because of Initiative 747 that places a cap, or lid, of 1 percent maximum increase per year on garnered property taxes.
Property reassessments are planned in 2007 in the Chimacum School District, where Fire District No. 3 is located.
That means that, under Initiative 747, levy amounts would drop more, said Fire Chief Ed Wilkerson.
Wilkerson said property values in the Port Ludlow area are expected to increase by more than 50 percent, which he calculates would drop the fire levy to 98 cents and the emergency medical services levy to 32 cents for every $1,000 of assessed property valuation by 2008.
So the district is asking voters to allow a lift of the 1 percent cap on both levies.
