Bottom line: Make growth pay its way

Those arriving to enjoy the good life in rural Idaho may celebrate escaping from taxes and regulations. Local regulations in the areas they left probably insured that development at least helped pay for itself, and that sufficient tax funds supported services and facilities taken for granted. The services and facilities that many now expect in rural North Idaho. The services and facilities that we have either long ago learned to live happily without and/or will soon be asked to build and pay for — AGAIN.

Development should pay for itself. This idea enjoys wide support. More than lip service is required to make it real. The ability of Timberlake or any fire district to increase taxes is severely restricted. Tax income from growth doesn’t yield enough revenue for new equipment, station facilities or staffing. Recent new construction valued at $11 million gained Timberlake merely $39,000 annually. A lot of money to most of us, it does little toward purchase of modern fire apparatus ($500,000) or a station ($1 million) and won’t hire a single full-time fire fighter.

Idaho fire protection districts have operated since 1943 for “The protection of property against fire and enforcement of any of the fire codes …” In 1974 the Legislature added “the preservation of life,” but no increased power to tax. Ambulance districts, governed by the county, can levy more than fire districts. EMS services, rescue services and HazMat incident responses are under state authority.

Cutting taxes at the state level and at the county level has forced costs onto rural fire districts to meet critical local needs. Spending for services that agencies with taxing authority have backed away from or fail to fund burdens fire districts and hampers performance of their basic functions. Building codes were invented to help keep fire fighters safe and enforcement enables fire districts to do their part effectively.

Meeting Timberlake’s responsibilities for fire protection as the area transitions from rural to suburban remains an unmet challenge. There is no other agency responsible for protecting property from fire and for enforcement of the Idaho Fire Code in northern Kootenai County. There are no current proposals to change the service structure at Timberlake Fire District. Ultimately, the services that people in the area want to have must determine tax funding at the state and county level.

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Robyn Edwards is a Timberlake Fire Protection District commissioner.