LEVY: Request is just too much

On Nov. 6, you will be asked to vote on a levy sponsored by the Northern Lakes Fire District. The levy calls for a 48 percent increase in what you are currently paying. The fire district wants this dramatic increase to fund a 15-year plan for expansion and to maintain their current level of protection. They also plan to build a new fire station near Lancaster and Government Way and move Station One farther south for better coverage. The cost of fire protection is getting more expensive, and having a plan for the future is a great idea.

My objection is the nearly 50 percent increase in the cost of fire protection coverage. This levy will increase my taxes by nearly $250 per year for fire protection, as a portion of my property tax. This seems like a drastic increase. A simple $25 levy per property is fair to everyone. Additionally, the district could study the viability of remodeling the station at Garwood and Hudlow as opposed to the community facing the cost of building a totally new facility at Lancaster and Government Way.

Major new residential developments like Hayden Canyon and others on the Rathdrum Prairie should bear the burden for their fire protection and we should not have to fund their need for services in the future.

Please, let’s vote no for the current levy increase for fire protection, talk to our representatives and get the fire protection we need properly funded without this drastic levy.

ELIZABETH GILL

Hayden Lake