SAN JUAN ISLANDER EDITORIAL AUGUST 13, 2002

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Time to consider cost of tradition

posted 08/13/02
Why won't Friday Harbor Town Councilmembers even discuss dropping the town's fire department as a way to alleviate the financial burden on town residents? Tradition is important but so is affordability.

Despite a letter from a citizen asking for consideration of that option, the council avoided the topic during their August 1 meeting and instead focused on increasing the already record high sewer utility rates. It is up to the citizens to ask their representatives for an explanation. Here are a few facts to help facilitate the discussion.

The Facts:

No one is picking on the Fire Dept.

The idea simply is: it does not make economic sense for the town to fund its own separate fire department when other more affordable options are available.

The suggestion is not in any way a negative statement about the quality of the town's fire department, its staff or the volunteers firefighters. The financial burden on the town's citizens is the focus of consideration.

The town's population is 2,045.

The assessed value of property in town is $267,478,838.

There are 1,382 tax parcels in Friday Harbor according to the county's assessor's office.

Taxes are assessed on 1,222 tax parcels, the rest are tax exempt. (By the way, the oft-quoted figure of 19 percent of the town being tax exempt is calculated using acreage not value or number of parcels.)

There are 799 sewer utility customers.

The wastewater treatment plant is sized to accommodate the summer influx of visitors and winter runoff.

An additional $264,000 needs to be raised annually to cover the cost of the new $6.8 million wastewater treatment plant.

49 percent of the town's current (general) fund comes from sales tax. An estimated $700,000 will be collected in 2002 according to town staff.

The town's property tax brings in 21 percent of the town's budget. The estimate for 2002 is $304,500.

Money from the current fund can be used to pay for the wastewater treatment plant.

Money from the current fund pays for the fire department.

The estimated cost for the Friday Harbor Fire Dept for 2002 is $255,110. This includes payments for equipment.

The Fire Dept. wants $20,000 towards a fire boat and $80,000 for new breathing apparatus.

The town has a full-time fire chief who is paid $49,000 per year. Comparable-size towns have part-time chiefs and pay them $26,000 per year according to Town Administrator King Fitch.

Towns which are contiguous to county fire districts can allow their citizens to vote to annex to the fire district.

Property taxes are limited to a one percent increase per year unless approved by the voters.

Utility rates increases are not subject to voter approval and do not have any built in limits.

The council has the option of reducing costs. Many communities in the state have decided it is not fiscally responsible to have their own fire departments. Port Orchard recently disbanded its department and joined the Kitsap County Fire Department. Friday Harbor Town Council could issue an order allowing voters to decide if they want Fire District No. 3 to provide fire protection service.

For comparison purposes:

• Friday Harbor Fire Dept's $255,000 annual budget is equal to $.95 per thousand dollars of assessed value .
  
  
• San Juan County Fire District No. 3's levy rate is $.73 per thousand dollars of assessed value.

The price paid by property taxpayers in Friday Harbor would be a total of $195,259 ($267,478,838 times $.73 per thousand dollars of assessed value) if District No. 3 provided the service.

If Friday Harbor's Fire Department was disbanded, $255,000 from the town's current fund would be freed up to help pay other needs. If the funds were used for the wastewater treatment plant, it would mean part of the sales tax collected from the tourists would help pay for the facility which is being sized to accommodate them. Increases to the high sewer utility rates wouldn't be necessary.

If the council decides it is more important to maintain its own separate fire department to cover the one-square mile town than to alleviate the citizen's financial burden, utility rates need to be increased to raise an additional $264,000. The rate structure under consideration includes increases of 17 to 23 percent in rates. A 192 percent increase in hookup fees (from $2,600 to $7,600) is also favored by councilmembers.

If the numbers are being looked at as averages, they would be:

• $264,000 divided by the 799 ratepayers equals a cost of
  $330.41 per ratepayer.
  
  
• $197,000 divided by 1,222 property tax parcels equals a cost of
  $161.21 per tax parcel.
  
  

If looked at on a town-wide basis, $255,000 - $195,000 equals a savings of $60,000.

To sum up, costs could be cut by having District No. 3 take care of fire protection services for Friday Harbor. There would be no need to increase the utility rates. The overall costs would be reduced by $60,000. An almost 200 percent increase in hookup fees, which would have a negative affect on housing affordability, would not be necessary.

The Town Council did not discuss any of these facts during their discussions of utility rates. If residents want to encourage their representatives to seriously consider cost saving options, they should contact Councilmembers:

• Carrie Brooks
• Wally Gillette
• David Jones
• Bill LaPorte
• Howard Rosenfeld

Their phone numbers and email addresses are available on the TOWN's WEB SITE

--- written by Sharon Kivisto