By Pat Jenkins The Dispatch Round two for a proposed Graham Fire and Rescue levy has begun. General-election ballots mailed last Friday by Pierce County will allow voters in the fire district to once again decide the fate of the $11 million maintenance and operations levy. They turned it down in the primary election in August, giving it a 58 percent favorable vote instead of the 60 percent that's required for such measures to pass. The new round of voting will continue until Nov. 4, the final day that ballots can be returned to the county elections department via official dropboxes or mail. The district's fire commissioners, hopeful that the levy can pass on the second attempt, submitted it again following its rejection last summer. That defeat was followed in September by cuts in service that officials had warned earlier were possible because of budget shortages. The trimming included the closure of one fire station and a reduction in staffing of a second one, as well as reduced availability of paramedic-staffed advanced life support transport units. In addition, non-priority calls for help will wait for an available unit. The commissioners and district administrators say they've cut as much as possible to save money. If it's approved, the four-year levy would cost taxpayers in the district $2.75 million per year, starting in 2015 and ending in 2018. The money would be collected in those years at a rate between 52 cents and 60 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value. The funds would pay for 16 additional firefighters and paramedics, allow the Thrift fire station (the one that's been closed) to provide 24-hour coverage to the east side of the district, and provide two additional units GÇô one of them an ambulance GÇô daily to help meet the current needs of Graham Fire's 70-square-miles, 61,000-resident service area. Fire districts depend on property tax revenue for their budget. Graham Fire officials point out that assessed valuation of property in their district has decreased 20 percent since 2008, causing a decline in tax collections for fire protection and emergency medical purposes. Fire districts such as Graham can't increase the rate of tax collection without a vote of the people. At the same time that tax revenue has been declining in the Graham district, calls for service have increased more than 14 percent and are expected by district officials to keep increasing 3 to 6 per cent per year. Last, 5,644 calls were logged GÇô 70 percent of them for medical aid. Officials project a total of 5,965 calls this year. Graham Fire has six fire stations and 53 career firefighters. The district has a history of generally passing its levies. In 2011, voters gave a 71 percent thumbs-up to a six-year measure supporting emergency medical services at a cost of $100 per year in taxes on a $200,000 home.
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