Olympia-Tumwater Regional Fire Authority Proposal
Welcome to Olympia Indivisible's Voter Education Page for Proposition 1, the Proposed Olympia-Tumwater Regional Fire Authority (RFA).
Proposition 1 will be the subject of a single-issue special election on April 25, 2023
Why create a voter education page for the Proposition 1 RFA proposal?
Olympia Indivisible believes that democracy is strengthened when voters are well informed about the issues on which they are asked to vote. The ballot for Proposition 1 which Olympia and Tumwater voters will receive affords only 250 words each for the Vote For/Against statements and only 75 words for rebuttal statements.
Because the proposed RFA merger proposition is a complex issue with very significant consequences for residents of Olympia and Tumwater, Olympia Indivisible reached out to the authors of the Vote For/Against statements for Proposition 1 to ask if they would be willing to provide us with 1000-word statements and 250-word rebuttals (along with related charts and tables) to be posted on Olympia Indivisible's website, in an effort to give Olympia and Tumwater voters vital information which might otherwise be unavailable.
The authors kindly agreed, and the Thurston County Auditor Election Office kindly made available the ballot title and explanatory statement. We thank them all for helping make this voter education initiative possible.
Proposition 1 RFA Special Election Dates
Turning in your Ballot
Additional Voter Education Opportunity for Proposition 1
On Wednesday, March 29, 2023, The League of Women Voters of Thurston County, in partnership with The JOLT News Organization (publisher of The Journal of Olympia, Lacey & Tumwater), will host a public educational forum on Proposition 1.
The forum will include a panel discussion providing information and background about the proposal, and the pros and cons that voters should weigh before they cast their ballots. The public will have the opportunity to ask questions.
The public may attend the forum in person or view online. It will be at the Thurston Community Media Studio, 440 Yauger Way SW, Olympia, on Wednesday, March 29, starting at 6:30 p.m. In-person seating may be limited, so watch the LWVTC website and the JOLT website for more information about registration and ticketing.
Olympia Indivisible believes that democracy is strengthened when voters are well informed about the issues on which they are asked to vote. The ballot for Proposition 1 which Olympia and Tumwater voters will receive affords only 250 words each for the Vote For/Against statements and only 75 words for rebuttal statements.
Because the proposed RFA merger proposition is a complex issue with very significant consequences for residents of Olympia and Tumwater, Olympia Indivisible reached out to the authors of the Vote For/Against statements for Proposition 1 to ask if they would be willing to provide us with 1000-word statements and 250-word rebuttals (along with related charts and tables) to be posted on Olympia Indivisible's website, in an effort to give Olympia and Tumwater voters vital information which might otherwise be unavailable.
The authors kindly agreed, and the Thurston County Auditor Election Office kindly made available the ballot title and explanatory statement. We thank them all for helping make this voter education initiative possible.
Proposition 1 RFA Special Election Dates
- March 24, 2023: Military ballots will be mailed on March 24, 2023.
- April 5, 2023: Civilian ballots will be mailed to Olympia and Tumwater voters.
- April 17, 2023: Last day to register to vote or update your current registration by any means other than in person. You may register to vote and update your current registration in person up to 8:00 p.m. on Election Day at any county Auditor's Office, voting center or any other designated location.
- April 25, 2023: Election Day.
- May 5, 2023: County Certification.
Turning in your Ballot
- If you’re an early voter, you should feel confident to return your ballot by mail, according to the Thurston County Auditor Office. Postal carriers are reliable, unbiased professionals who handle ballots with the utmost integrity. Your ballot is treated as 1st Class mail. It’s postage-paid. No need to apply a stamp.
- If you’re a late voter and plan to vote in the final week before Election Day, the Thurston County Auditor Office recommends that you use a ballot drop box. Find the closest Ballot Drop Box here.
- If you’re voting on election day, make sure to place your ballot in a USPS receptacle before the posted pick-up time. Only ballots postmarked by election day are counted.
Additional Voter Education Opportunity for Proposition 1
On Wednesday, March 29, 2023, The League of Women Voters of Thurston County, in partnership with The JOLT News Organization (publisher of The Journal of Olympia, Lacey & Tumwater), will host a public educational forum on Proposition 1.
The forum will include a panel discussion providing information and background about the proposal, and the pros and cons that voters should weigh before they cast their ballots. The public will have the opportunity to ask questions.
The public may attend the forum in person or view online. It will be at the Thurston Community Media Studio, 440 Yauger Way SW, Olympia, on Wednesday, March 29, starting at 6:30 p.m. In-person seating may be limited, so watch the LWVTC website and the JOLT website for more information about registration and ticketing.
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City of Olympia and City of Tumwater Proposition 1 Formation of a Regional Fire Authority Ballot Title Source: Thurston County Auditor The City of Olympia and City of Tumwater adopted a Joint Resolution concerning formation of a regional fire authority and its Plan. If approved, this proposition would form the Olympia Tumwater Fire Authority and adopt the Plan to provide fire protection and emergency medical services. The Authority will be funded by property tax (not to exceed $1.00 per $1,000 of assessed value) and a six-year benefit charge (not to exceed 60% of the Authority's operating budget). This funding would reduce Olympia's and Tumwater's property tax capacity by the tax rate collected by the Authority. Should this proposition to form the Olympia Tumwater Fire Authority and its Plan be approved? |
City of Olympia and City of Tumwater Proposition 1 Formation of a Regional Fire Authority Explanatory Statement Source: Thurston County Auditor Proposition 1 asks voters to decide whether to form a new Olympia Tumwater Fire Authority. Currently, the fire departments in Olympia and Tumwater compete with other municipal departments for limited. city revenues. Proposition 1 will merge into one organization Olympia's and Tumwater's fire departments effective September 25, 2023. The fire authority will have dedicated funding and be initially governed by a board consisting of three Olympia City Councilmembers and three Tumwater City Councilmembers. The Olympia Tumwater Fire Authority will be funded by a property tax of $1.00 per $1,000 of assessed valuation and a benefit charge per RCW 52.26.050 and RCW 52.26.060. The benefit charge will be used to staff and provide service enhancements for a growing population. The benefit charge would account for up to 60% of the fire authority's operating budget and must be submitted for voter reauthorization in 6 years. These funding sources would reduce Olympia's and Tumwater's property tax capacity by $1.00 per $1,000 of assessed valuation. Low income seniors and disabled persons will continue to receive the same percentage discounts. Explanatory Statement prepared by: Mark Barber, Olympia City Attorney |
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"For" Committee Members:
Contact: Email: voteyesolympiatumwaterfire@gmail.com Website: United for Your Safety |
"Against" Committee Members:
Contact: Email: saveourfd@gmail.com or Website: www.SaveOurFD.org |
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Argument "For" (1,000-Word Statement)
Vote Yes for Public Safety! Vote Yes on Proposition 1! We are at a critical time in the history of our fire departments. Our firefighters are busier than ever, responding to more calls than ever before. Firefighters are working long hours affecting their morale and mental health, and they need new equipment. More firefighters are needed to ensure time critical, labor intensive, and highly technical work is delivered. Creating a Regional Fire Authority (RFA) merging Olympia and Tumwater’s fire departments will help address these needs. Why do we need a Regional Fire Authority?
We need to take action now before the system is broken! Call volumes are increasing dramatically Since 2012, Olympia’s population has increased 21% to 56,370 and Tumwater’s population has increased 51% to 26,360. The fire department call volumes have correspondingly increased for Olympia from 8,200 to over 15,500 calls a year in this same time period. Tumwater’s call volume has similarly increased from 2,700 over 6,000 calls for service a year. Most importantly, as shown in Figure 1, both departments are experiencing more multiple calls at once, straining our firefighters and medics even more. The increase in calls for service leads to longer response times. 
During this time, the minimum staffing on duty has increased by only 3 firefighters in Olympia and 2 firefighters in Tumwater. Our staffing has not kept up with the demand! What’s being proposed? The Olympia and Tumwater Councils have both agreed we should merge our Fire Departments into a Regional Fire Authority to enable more efficient deployment of resources. Fire authorities are not new. Over a dozen have been created in Washington State in the last few years since being authorized by the legislature. The Olympia Tumwater Fire Authority would be governed by an independent board of Commissioners. The Commissioners would initially consist of 6 Councilmembers, 3 each from the Olympia and Tumwater Councils. It would gradually transition to a 7 member Board, made up of 1 Councilmember from each City and 5 independently elected Commissioners. A majority of the RFA funding will come from existing property taxes and the Medic 1 levy we already pay and would not increase. A new fire benefit charge (costing less than a $1 a day for a typical home and less for apartments) will help cover rising costs, modernize our facilities, and add new services to improve fire and medical response. What will you get for your money? More staff delivering services more efficiently Our firefighters are dedicated professionals who work tirelessly to ensure the safety of our community. However, with the high call volume, their resources are being stretched thin, and response times are increasing. To ensure our firefighters can continue to provide timely service to community, the fire authority will provide for the following:
Like many agencies, our fire departments have difficulty filling vacancies and diversifying our workforce. PTSD is also a growing issue with all firefighters and medics due the traumatic situations they encounter on a daily basis. Dedicated staff will facilitate filling of vacancies, reducing the strain of overtime on veteran firefighters and coordinate mental health support, helping those who dedicate their lives to helping us. Increased transparency and accountability Currently, fire department costs are buried in city budgets. The RFA’s expenditures will be in plain sight. Through periodic elections, the voters - not politicians, get to decide the level of service we want and how much we are willing to pay for fire and medical services. New equipment, vehicles and better facility maintenance Currently, our Cities rely on uncertain funding to replace and upgrade our firefighters’ safety equipment. Facility maintenance is often delayed due to lack of funding. And critical response vehicles are getting worn out. The RFA will have funds dedicated to purchase new vehicles and equipment, dedicated facility maintenance staff, and funds to modernize our facilities including accommodating women firefighters and medics, and energy upgrades to address climate change. For more information UNITED FOR YOUR SAFETY (voteyesfireems.com) What are community leaders saying? “When our lives and property are on the line, your firefighters answer the call every time, no questions asked, treating everyone equitably, professionally, and with compassion. Let’s provide them with the funding and resources they need to do their jobs as efficiently as possible. Vote YES on Proposition 1.” Cheryl Selby Olympia Mayor “Over my many years of public service I’ve seen our firefighters put out large fires and small, comfort neighbors during medical calls, and save people in gruesome accidents. Our fire departments continue to compete for resources within City budgets. It doesn’t make sense to continue to do more of the same thing and expect a different result. Proposition 1 will provide our fire departments with the financing and resources to meet the needs of our cities as we grow and evolve.” Pete Kmet Former Tumwater Mayor “Since my time as Fire Chief in Olympia, we’ve seen regionalized services work over and over, including Intercity Transit, the LOTT wastewater treatment plant, and the 911 system. In every case, the quality of service is improved, and it costs the taxpayers less in the long run. The same goes for the Regional Fire Authority, and that’s why I am behind it one hundred percent and ask for your vote on April 25th.” Larry Dibble, Retired Fire Chief Olympia Fire Department |
Argument "Against" (1,000-Word Statement) Vote NO on Proposition 1, Regional Fire Authority We all want quality fire and emergency medical service. This proposal increases costs but does NOT improve or increase services. If approved, the RFA will bring increases in costs for everyone who pays a property tax bill, with very large increases for rental apartments which landlords will likely pass on to renters. It will not add a single firefighter, fire engine, or fire station in the seven-year plan. Figure 1 shows compensation levels. Figure 7 shows the staffing planned by the RFA for the first seven years. Not a single new firefighter, paramedic, or prevention officer. Population is expected to rise by about 10%, so quality of service will decline. The Plan initially collects $10.5 million per year in “Fire Benefit Charges from property owners. This is in addition to the RFA receiving $200 - $400/house from existing property taxes. It would be the largest increase on property tax bills in the history of either city. This could be increased to $25 million/year without another vote. That would impose a fee of $600 - $1,000 per year. How will the new Fire Benefit Charge affect property tax bills? Figure 2 shows the complex formula for the fire benefit charge (FBC), based on the square root of the square feet of a structure. The FBC is inequitable. Single-family homes will pay about $.09 per square foot, but apartments will pay $.24 / square foot. An 800 square foot apartment ($195) will pay more than a 2,000 square foot house ($189). Higher rents will compound the housing emergency. Figure 3 shows this. Washington already has one of the most regressive tax structures in the nation. The RFA makes it worse – imposing a much higher fee per square foot on apartments and on small homes than on mansions. Advocates for the RFA are using some erroneous arguments:
Where does the new $10.5 million go? It goes to:
There are other problems: Emergency Response left to the Cities When an earthquake, flood, or other non-fire disaster strikes, the two City fire, public works departments and police departments respond together. Under the RFA Plan, the “emergency response” function remains with the Cities, but all of the Fire Department personnel and equipment are being transferred to the RFA. Loss of Local Control The RFA will be controlled by a separate board, not the City Councils. Experience with the Port of Olympia and other “special purpose” governments shows that special purpose agencies are often captured by those with vested interests in the outcome of these little-watched elections. Are the union firefighters supporting the creation of the RFA? Yes. The reason is simple: Everybody gets a raise. Instead of being compared to smaller cities like Kelso and Bremerton, the combined RFA will be compared to larger urbanized cities with higher costs of living like Auburn and Burien. The Cities Have Other Funding Alternatives Cities have many taxing options available to them. Currently, if the Cities need more money for fire or EMS services, they have many funding options. A levy lid lift (voted property tax increase) could generate a large increase in City funding. Other options include raising business and occupation taxes, utility taxes, and issuing bonds to pay for new equipment. The RFA has very few funding options. It is a risky proposition. Littlerock and Grand Mound Fire Districts were merged into the West Thurston Regional Fire Authority seven years ago. In 2022, after voters twice rejected a renewal of their funding, the department closed three of five fire stations, laid off many of their professional firefighters, and residents can expect their fire insurance premiums to rise. We don’t want that to happen here. Lacey Fire District 3 was invited to join the RFA project, but after careful study, they declined because they found that the RFA would result in increased costs to Lacey citizens with no clear added value. Vote NO to protect your local fire department. A NO vote in April will reject the formation of the RFA, leaving the Tumwater and Olympia Fire Departments intact, and under the control of the two City Councils. It will also prevent the application of the regressive FBC on properties in Olympia and Tumwater. For more information: Go to www.SaveOurFD.org or email: SaveourFD@gmail.com |
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Rebuttal Statement from “For” Argument Don’t be fooled by the opponents’ rhetoric. Our firefighters will continue to respond to emergencies when Proposition 1 passes. It’s what they do. They love helping people and our communities! You will NOT pay additional property tax than you do now! The fire benefit charge is a fee based on the two biggest factors that affect fire risk – building size and use (residential vs. commercial). A typical 3-bedroom home owner will pay about $21/month, smaller homes less; an apartment renter about $5/month. It’s progressive and fair. The benefit charge is LESS than the tax rate the voters approved for parks in both Olympia and Tumwater. Shouldn’t fire and medical response be a comparable funding priority for our communities? Olympia is borrowing $4 million to begin the process of hiring more firefighters. Proposition 1 will ensure there are funds to sustain these services. Olympia and Tumwater are right next to each other. It makes sense to combine our fire departments. Emergencies don’t follow city boundaries. The RFA will be governed by a board of democratically elected commissioners, accountable to the voters. Vote YES to ensure our communities have highly rated fire and medical response now and in the foreseeable future! |
Rebuttal Statement from “Against” Argument “More firefighters” are needed, but the RFA proposal does NOT provide more firefighters. Nor does it provide more fire engines or a needed new fire station. It instead spends the $10.5 million from a regressive new charge on redundant administrative costs for a new government entity and for higher salaries for existing workers. An RFA will drive up rents. Apartments would pay more per square foot than large homes do. An 800 s/f apartment will pay more than a 2,000 s/f house. We should be dismantling structures of inequality and not building new ones. Call volume increases with population and annexations. Budgets for Fire Departments have increased faster than inflation and population combined. Tumwater’s increase is mostly due to a large annexation which brought additional property tax and utility tax revenues to cover that. And the Tumwater fire budget has nearly tripled as we show in Figures 4 and 5. The new “Fire Benefit Charge” of “less than $1/day” (that’s $350/year) can be increased to about $850/year without another vote by the RFA board. More transparency and accountability are achieved by keeping our excellent City fire departments. Find the facts at SaveOurFD.org |
Remember to look for your ballot and don't forget to vote.
