Fire District 9 in Mead asking voters to re-up levy that covers majority of its budget

Voters in a northern Spokane County fire district will decide in the Aug. 6 election if they want to continue paying a tax to boost fire and medical service.

Spokane County Fire District 9, which covers 125 square miles in northern Spokane County, has had a maintenance and operations levy in place for more than 28 years. The current levy, which will expire at the end of the year, has a rate of $1.29 per $1,000 of assessed property value. The three-year replacement levy will be an 18-cent increase to $1.47 in 2025, increasing by 1 cent for each of the following two years.

District 9 has about 110 firefighters with approximately 82 career firefighters and 36 volunteers.

Last year the district’s fire crews responded to more than 7,500 emergencies. Roughly 70% of calls were for emergency medical services, and the remaining calls were for fires and other nonmedical emergencies, District 9 Fire Chief Jim Walkowski said.

“This levy provides about 65% of our total revenue,” Walkowski said.

If approved, the district will be authorized to collect $13.7 million in 2025, $14.2 million in 2026 and $14.8 million in 2027.

The maximum increase for a home with a value of $400,000 in 2025 would not exceed $6 a month, or $72 annually.

The fire district needs these funds to keep up with inflation and continue to maintain its current level of service, Walkowski said. If the levy does not pass, “it would have significant operational implications for Fire District 9.”

Brian Mather, one of three commissioners who oversees Fire District 9, said hotter summers “have high potential to strain our department,” making the levy money more imperative.

The levy would allocate approximately $2.5 million to replace old, worn-out equipment. Two crucial pieces of equipment would be replaced with the proposed levy: self-contained breathing apparatuses which are the air tanks used by firefighters; and personal protective equipment worn by firefighters, Mather said.

The personal protective equipment has “a lifespan based on national industry standards” and that “they are at the end of their lifespan,” he said.

The District 9 firefighters “are on those fire trucks day in and day out, they have a passion for serving our community,” Mather said.