Tumwater city council unanimously votes to send RFA decision to voters

The Tumwater City Council yesterday unanimously approved a joint resolution with Olympia, putting the formation of a Regional Fire Authority (RFA) to a public vote.

The special election is set to take place on April 25 next year. If the proposition is approved, the Olympia-Tumwater Fire Authority will be formed to provide fire protection and emergency medical services in the two jurisdictions.

All city council members agreed to pass the resolution, citing the need to address increasing call volume and slowing response time in both cities. Tumwater city staff also regards the formation of an RFA as an important step in mitigating rising expenditures, which are set to surpass the city’s revenues by 2025.

Councilmembers Charlie Schneider and Joan Cathey expressed reservations about aspects of the plan but voted in favor of putting the question to voters.

Schneider raised concerns about the six-year term length for RFA commissioners, which he deemed too long. He was also concerned that the fire benefit charge, a fee that would fund the RFA, was based on the area of a property instead of the value.

He noted that it will be up to the public to determine what direction they want to take for Tumwater. The city council members repeatedly spoke about the significance of educating the public about the proposed RFA.

“I understand there's resistance, and I understand there's fear of change,” said Councilmember Leatta Dahlhoff, who is a member of the RFA planning committee. “And we're breaking down that information and hoping you also see what we need to do together for our community.”

“I would hope that we have fostered trust and confidence in our community because the promises we make or the promises we keep, it's the Tumwater way,” she added.

 As part of the joint resolution, the RFA planning committee will appoint members to two committees to educate voters on the advantages and disadvantages of the proposed RFA.

Rushed pacing of RFA

Another concern among council members was that some members of the public feel that deliberations to form the RFA have been rushed, according to Cathey.

“I personally feel like some of the folks I've talked to,” Cathey later said. “I wish I could talk more. I wish you could ask more questions.”

City administrator John Doan explained that the RFA has to be voted on by the end of April due to the timeline of the fiscal year. “By August 1, whatever entity exists — whether it's the city [fire department] or a Regional Fire Authority — has to be able to certify a tax roll so that the county can then prepare the taxes for the following year,” Doan said.

“The last possible date to do that is really in April because you'd have the election in April… If you don't do that date, you have to wait another year,” he continued.

Sources of funding

The proposed RFA will be funded by a fire benefit charge, which is determined by the size and type of structures being covered. The fee will be discussed further in a public hearing scheduled for January. 

Additional funds will come from a fire levy, which is a property tax that would not exceed $1.00 per $1,000 of assessed value when a benefit charge is active or $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed value if there is no such charge.