E-MAIL TO THE EDITOR: August M&O Levy Is Vital For Fire Department

(The following is from West Pierce Fire & Rescue)

As we move through the first half of 2011, we are continuing to work through a very difficult time in our economy.

The assessed valuation of property in the fire district has declined by almost 12 percent over the past two years. From 2010 to 2011 alone, West Pierce Fire & Rescue has experienced a reduction of almost $1.2 million in tax revenue. In fact, we are currently collecting less property tax revenue than we did in 2008. At the same time weve continued to maintain a Class 3 service level rating by putting some basic strategies in place to help us stabilize costs: 

THE MERGER: Our recent merger has been one of the keys to stabilizing our costs, allowing us to eliminate redundant positions, programs and equipment, saving more than $900,000 annually. During our planning for the merger we left vacancies in place, anticipating these positions could be eliminated once the merger was completed. In the end, the elimination of these positions did not necessitate layoffs. In fact, to date no layoffs have occurred. 

EMPLOYEE CONCESSIONS: When we saw the revenue shortfalls we were facing, we asked our employees for help and they stepped up to the challenge. Our employees accepted contract concessions during the past two years that have amounted to more than $500,000. Our employees have a deep understanding of the challenges that confront all of us and these concessions were one way to help us to continue to provide a high level of service. Needless to say, Im very proud of our employees and their commitment.

GRANTS: A third strategy weve employed is an aggressive grant program. Youll see some of the specifics in this newsletter, but in short, our grant program has been hugely successful, accounting for more than $2 million in awards for our organization and the region. 

In addition to stabilizing costs, we must also continue to receive adequate funding. We will be asking for your support of our maintenance and operations levy that will be placed on the August ballot. This levy is not a new tax, but replaces the current levy that is expiring. This levy doesn't expand services, add new personnel or create new programs; it simply continues to support more than 25 percent of our day-to-day operations. With another substantial decline in assessed value that is being projected for 2012, citizens will actually see their overall taxes to West Pierce Fire & Rescue drop from the amount theyre paying today. Once again, the strategies weve put in place to stabilize costs is paying off and the citizens will reap those benefits. 

However, the economic challenges have not gone away and will continue to plague us going into 2012, but by continuing to aggressively manage our budget, by having employees who are willing to share in the burden we all face, and by striving to find new and innovative ways to reduce costs and find alternative funding sources, Im confident we will be able to maintain our financial stability and continue to deliver the high caliber of service youve come to expect. 

In closing, weve been a merged fire service provider for less than six months, but weve been a part of the two communities for more than 70 years. We look forward to continuing to serve the citizens of Lakewood and University Place in the same professional, caring manner that we always have.

Thank you for your ongoing support and if you have any questions or concerns, please dont hesitate to call 253-564-1623.