Headquarters (208) 286-7772
Headquarters (208) 286-7772
If your questions aren’t answered here, please check our General Levy Information here or contact us at 208-286-7772..
A combination of factors contributed to the District Board’s decision to put a levy override measure to the voters. Increasing inflationary costs of apparatus and firefighter safety equipment, the impact of statutory budget limitations implemented by the Legislature in 2021, increased operating costs, and keeping up with growth have all contributed to the need for a levy override. These factors are limiting the District’s ability to adequately fund fire protection and emergency medical services throughout our 55-square-mile District.
While development impact fees can fund facilities, such as the construction of Station 55, statutorily impact fees CANNOT be used for ongoing personnel and annual operational expenses.
Without the addition of firefighters/EMS personnel to staff Station 55, response times will diminish. Response times are a primary concern of the District and a critical factor in saving lives and property.
Over the past several years, the District enacted several measures to reduce costs on taxpayers:
Implemented development impact fees so growth pays for itself. Developers now pay impact fees which fund new facilities and apparatus (stations, fire trucks, water tenders etc.). These fees were increased in December 2023 to account for inflationary cost increases and to ensure funds are available for future facilities.
Established the MidStar Fire partnership through a joint powers agreement with Middleton Rural Fire District (MRFD) providing for shared leadership and administrative positions. This saves each District more than $430,000 in personnel costs each year and has allowed funding for additional firefighters for more “boots on the ground.”
Participated with Middleton Rural Fire District in collaborative purchasing of apparatus and equipment. In 2020 this saved the Districts an additional $30,000.
Due to the increased costs of fire engines and a three to four year wait time for delivery, the MidStar Fire partnership has also worked collaboratively to locate a vendor able to refurbish older fire engines and restore them to like-new condition for half the cost.
The MidStar Fire partnership currently optimizes daily staffing levels throughout the three stations within the two Districts to reduce overtime costs associated with vacancies.
Through multiple joint powers agreements, SFPD provides apparatus and emergency vehicle maintenance services to several other fire districts and departments. The addition of the Maintenance Division in 2015 provided the District with an internal source for providing maintenance on apparatus, vehicles, and equipment, getting them back in service and responding to emergencies much quicker and at a lower cost than outsourcing repairs and maintenance.
By collaborating with the City of Star and without the use of taxpayer dollars we were able to secure a 2018 Pierce/Dash Ascendant 107’ Aerial Ladder Truck (valued at more than $1 million) to better serve the community. The District is also able to house the City’s Police and Parks and Recreation Departments, saving millions of dollars for the taxpayers within the community.
The proposed $2,225,000 permanent annual levy override would provide for 24/7 professional staffing at Station 55 on Floating Feather Road, as well as protective gear and safety equipment. The surety of future funding will also help to retain and recruit firefighter/EMTs. Most importantly, the 24/7 coverage of Station 55 will reduce demands on Stations 51 and 52, improving response times throughout our 55-square-mile service area.
The $2,225,000 proposed levy override is the estimated annual amount necessary to fund 24/7 coverage at Station 55, firefighter equipment and PPE, increased operating costs, and firefighter/EMT retention. The new station was funded with impact fees; however, impact fees are not permitted to fund annual operating expenses such as personnel, maintenance, apparatus replacement, or equipment.
Funding for our annual operating budget, also known as the M&O (maintenance and operations) budget, comes from property taxes. In fact, 97% of annual operating revenue comes from property taxes assessed on properties within our Fire District. Unlike some other public agencies, fire districts cannot charge fees for fire and emergency medical services.
Also see: Why doesn’t the District receive the property tax revenues necessary to maintain annual operations?
Development impact fees can only fund facilities and equipment and apparatus with a life span of ten years or longer. State statutes prohibit districts from using impact fees to fund annual operating budgets which pay for personnel expenses, other equipment and apparatus replacements, and other recurring expenses.
The District implemented impact fees in 2018 and increased those fees in December 2023 in order to keep up with inflationary costs.
Impact fees will pay for the construction of Station 55 and will also fund qualifying major equipment and apparatus purchases.
House Bill 389 that was implemented in 2021, changed budget limitations for public agencies and creates a large ongoing funding gap between the needed revenues and actual expenses to operate a fire district.
An annual base M&O budget increase is capped at 3%. This is less than recent annual inflation rates. Recent US inflation rates have exceeded 3% (2021 - 4.7%, 2022 - 8.0%, 2023 - 4.1%). Many of the District’s ongoing costs have increased as much as 20 to 100%. The 3% budget growth limitation applies regardless of the District’s actual increase in the cost of delivering emergency services.
HB 389 provided new statutory limitations on increasing budget authority due to new construction and annexations. Any additional budget authority based on new construction and annexations that impacted the District is also capped at a maximum of 5% growth, regardless if a district grew more than that.
It is important to understand SFPD will continue to serve the community as efficiently and effectively as possible with its available resources. If the levy override is not approved, the District will be unable to provide staffing for the new station and District officials would evaluate operations and services to determine the level of emergency services it will be able to provide to the community.
Without additional staffing to improve response times to emergency calls for service throughout the entire District, the current 3 to 4 person crews will continue to provide services to the best of their ability and availability. As demand for services increases throughout the District and firefighters are responding to more calls throughout the 5 to 20 minute response areas, it will have a negative impact on response times and availability for all areas of the District.
The proposed levy override will provide for 24/7 staffing of new Station 55. This will reduce demands on Stations 51 and 52, allowing for improved response times throughout our entire service area.
Approximately 70-80% of our responses are calls for emergency medical services. Firefighters are typically first on scene and provide immediate medical care until an ambulance service can arrive for transport to a nearby hospital. Response times are especially critical in fire and medical emergency situations.
You can check estimated response times for your neighborhood (dependent on crew availability) on the interactive map here: https://arcg.is/09W1zK
Fire districts’ primary source of revenue is derived from property taxes. More than 97% of annual revenue for the District’s operating budget comes from the taxpayers. Fire districts are not a fee-based service, and they do not have the capability to increase or impose fees for emergency services. We have a very limited list of services that we are allowed to charge for and the majority of those are for plan reviews and inspections.
Like school districts, fire districts do not have the authority to approve or deny new development. Approvals come from jurisdictions in which projects are located, and those jurisdictions can also be limited in restricting growth. However, we are tasked with and committed to providing essential fire and emergency medical services to all residents within our service area.
Our 2018 implementation of development impact fees allows us to collect assessments dedicated to fund facilities and qualifying equipment necessary to serve the newly developed areas. The District increased impact fee amounts in December 2023 to ensure we collect adequate funds to account for inflationary cost increases for future facilities and equipment. Impact Fees CANNOT be used to fund staffing and ongoing annual operating expenses for the new stations, this is not permissible under State statutes.
In cooperation with the City of Star and a developer, the location of Station 55 was secured as an optimal location for a third fire station. It is located in the northeast portion and centrally located within the District’s 55 square miles and will provide services to that portion of the District and the Highway 16 corridor. Its proximity to the core of Star will also allow for faster response times to the east side of the District due to travel times being reduced by lower speed limits and congestion within the City of Star. This location provides proximity to the north-south thoroughfares that currently have very limited access to the northern portion of the District. The residential communities and commercial properties in this area, along with the growth that is planned to the east and expanding to the north, justifies a station in this area. The District has also worked with developers to the north up Highway 16 to secure land for an additional station that may be needed in the future if growth continues.
The estimated annual cost to the taxpayer would amount to approximately $53.83 (or $4.50 per month) per $100,000 of taxable assessed value, based on current conditions (per the value of property in 2023) and is a permanent override increase.
Fire departments across the US are awarded what’s known as an Insurance Services Office (ISO) rating. The rating is determined by a community’s fire services, water supply and fire flows, and emergency communications systems.
Insurance companies use ISO ratings as one factor in determining insurance rates for residents and businesses. ISO ratings range from 1 to 10, with 1 being the best possible rating and 10 indicating a community does not meet minimum ISO standards. SFPD currently maintains ISO ratings ranging from 3 to 10, depending on the service area location.
It’s difficult to quantify, in dollars, the impact an improved ISO rating can have on annual insurance premiums because insurance companies also consider factors such as a property’s location, features, and operations (for commercial properties), among others.
Property tax levies are authorized by State Statute as a funding tool for public agencies (fire districts, cities, counties, school districts, etc.); they are used to fund annual operating budgets.
Bonds are long-term funding options for capital improvements, such as buildings that are often too costly to fund through cash reserves. Bond funds are restricted to a specific use and generally extend 20-30 years they require 66.67% voter approval.
Supplemental/Temporary levies, are short term levies that support everyday programs and services, are assessed over a two-year period for an annual set amount and require a 50% simple majority voter approval.
A permanent levy override supports everyday programs and services and provides for ongoing annual funding based on annual budgetary needs. Pursuant to state statute, increases on annual base budgets are capped at 3%. Permanent levy overrides require a 66.67% voter approval.
The proposed levy override is a permanent increase. Going forward, $2,225,000 will be added to the current base budget each year, providing long-term stability to fund annual operations. Knowing the levy override will provide a permanent funding solution for ongoing operations allows the District to plan for the future and strengthens our retention and recruiting efforts by eliminating funding uncertainties.
The estimated average annual cost to the taxpayer would amount to approximately $53.83 (or $4.50 per month) per $100,000 of taxable assessed value, based on current conditions and is a permanent override increase.
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