Timberlake Fire seeks permanent override levy

By BRIAN WALKER

Staff Writer

ATHOL — The Timberlake Fire Protection District is sending a permanent override levy proposal of up to $290,000 to voters in the May 21 election.

Patrons living in a $200,000 home in the district, which serves Athol, Bayview, Chilco and surrounding areas, currently pay about $19 per month for coverage.

If the levy is approved with at least a two-thirds vote, those residents would see an increase of about $5 per month, according to district officials.

The funds would be used to hire two firefighters, expedite the replacement process for three engines and facility upgrades that includes adding living space at the Bayview station, improving a training room and a station roof repair.

"It may take three years to have enough money built up to buy the first new engine," Chief Bill Steele said, explaining that all of the needs wouldn't be addressed at once. "But, if we don't get the levy, it may take 10 years to replace an engine; then we'll have 40-year-old engines. We need these funds to plan to replace vehicles and improve facilities."

Steele said this will be the first time in the district's 20-year history that it's requesting an override levy.

"This is the first time the board has gone out to the public and said, 'It's time we need some assistance,'" he said.

Steele describes the proposal, which was unanimously approved by the board this week, as "very reasonable and very beneficial to the citizens."

"It's very cost-effective and we're asking for the bare minimum of what we need to operate," he said.

Steele said the district's levy rate will drop slightly each year as the assessed value of the district continues to increase.

"As the assessed value goes up, the rate we can collect on goes down," he said.

The levy rate was $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed value when the district was formed 20 years ago and is $1.12 today.

"Most of that drop has been in the past five years as there's been significant increases in new permits, new construction and assessed value," he said.

Steele said the reason for the levy request is that operating costs and calls per service are exceeding the revenue the district generates from taxes.

He said taking the 3 percent tax increase per year allowed under law hasn't kept pace with calls per service, which have increased more than 10 percent per year for the past five years. Last year the district experienced a 12.6 percent hike in calls.

"Our population is growing rapidly and operating costs are rising well over our current funding level," Steele said.

The district board asked Steele to make four to six public presentations about the levy request before the election. The presentations will be scheduled next week.

The district covers 83 square miles in northern Kootenai and southern Bonner counties and serves about 7,000 residents.