Vashon Island Fire & Rescue does a good job and the responders work hard to save lives and property, but they don’t really need — and islanders can’t afford — the very expensive levy the district has proposed. The department is asking for an additional $2 million next year (an 87 percent increase over its current tax revenue), which could rise to more than $4 million by 2023 (over 2 ½ times what we pay now).

Yes, emergency calls have increased since 1990, but so have the number of VIFR personnel. We went from all volunteers to a paid professional responder staff of 15 full-time EMT/firefighters. The island population hasn’t changed much since 2010 — up maybe 400 people according to the Census Bureau and the Washington State Office of Financial Management. The VIFR website shows calls for aid have increased only slightly, over the last five years, while fire calls have decreased by 25 percent.

VIFR has recognized paid responders have not always been available for calls because they were leaving the island for three or more hours to take patients to hospitals. Starting this August, VIFR began charging for these off-island ambulance transports, and with the $300,000 the department projected it will bring in each year, it will hire up to 24 part-time EMT/firefighters to drive patients and respond to on-island calls at other times. VIFR also arranged with off-Island ambulance companies to transfer hospital-bound patients at the ferry dock. These changes are designed to assure full-time paid responders and our aid cars are available to respond to on-island needs at all times.

The fire district established a program to assure a continual stream of new responder volunteers by setting up an EMT/fire academy to train and equip individuals wanting to enter this field. In return, trainees guarantee they will volunteer for at least two years as on-island responders, taking regular shifts and staying at the main fire station, available for emergency calls 24 hours a day. This program succeeds if the trainee secures paid employment as a responder. Although the result may be volunteer turnover, it seems there are always new individuals wanting to enter training.

VIFR currently has new on-island support staff volunteers who drive vehicles, move fire hoses and do other tasks, as well as an Explorer program composed of younger trainees. More island volunteer responders are always desirable. The fire district formerly employed a part-time dedicated volunteer coordinator who excelled at recruiting off-islanders for the EMT/firefighter training program. The fire district has not offered the same level of dedicated effort to recruit Vashon responder volunteers.

Pro-levy folks say all our fire stations need maintenance, and vehicles need replacement. But VIFR has talked about selling two rarely used fire stations for over a decade, and it might be cheaper and wiser to lease instead of buy vehicles. The cash savings could be applied to make needed repairs at the other stations, and VIFR wouldn’t need to maintain aging equipment until it is completely worn out.

Because not much on the island has changed and VIFR has found solutions to existing problems, it is not clear why they need to ask for the maximum levy amount plus a 6 percent potential annual increase. Just as important, what would this increase mean for you?

If your house was valued at $500,000 in 2017, you paid $468 in fire district taxes. Vashon housing prices have increased 17 percent, so next year your house will be assessed at $585,000. The proposed levy of $1.50/$1,000 of assessed value and your increased house value will mean you will pay $878 to the fire district in 2018, a $409 (87 percent) increase. Because the levy allows up to a 6 percent raise every year without an additional vote, you could pay $1,174 in fire district taxes by 2023. This increase would affect everyone on the island, not just homeowners, as it is likely landlords would pass new payment demands along to their renters.

Fire district taxes won’t be the only increase you will face in 2018 because there are also education taxes. Between the fire district increase, the local school bond and new state school taxes, you, as the owner of a currently $500,000 house, will pay an additional $1,026 next year if the fire district levy passes.

Opposing the levy doesn’t mean you are against VIFR or the people who will come to your rescue if you call 911. Voting “no” tells VIFR it is asking for too much money without a plan in place justifying its needs or telling us how new money will be spent. Please vote “no” on Proposition 1 to tell VIFR to come back with a reasonable levy request.

— Alice Larson is a social service researcher and island demographer who has monitored VIFR activities for 25 years, including serving as a member of the 2015-16 Fire District Strategic Planning Oversight Team. She can be reached at reasonablelevy@outlook.com