Fire chiefs brief Redmond council on regional fire authority option; officials ask for more analysis and community engagement

Redmond fire leadership presented an informational briefing on June 17 about a possible regional fire authority (RFA), explaining what an RFA is, how it is formed and what local impacts to staffing, budgets and governance could look like.

Deputy Interim Chief Michael Despain told the Public Safety and Human Services Committee that the state law enabling RFAs dates to about 2004 and that RFAs operate as separate local-government entities with their own taxing authority and governing board. He said there are currently "18 RFAs in the state" and "4 in King County," and that an RFA is created by consolidating two or more fire agencies.

Why this matters: An RFA could change how Redmond pays for and manages fire and emergency medical services, reassigning most fire-department expenditures to the new authority and altering the city's general-fund commitments. Council members said they want more analysis of tax implications, impacts on non-operational staff (inspectors, marshals) and robust community engagement before considering any ballot measure.

Key points from the briefing

Despain described the RFA model as "just like a separate unit of local government, like a school or a hospital or a fire district." He said forming an RFA can reduce administrative redundancy (fewer multiple chiefs and deputies), allow more strategic placement of stations and apparatus and generally push funding toward field operations. He said Redmond Fire's current annual expenditures are about "$51,000,000" and that roughly "$20,000,000" comes from discretionary general-fund allocations for the fire department.

Despain and Chief Adrian Shepherd described the basic formation steps: update a multi-year financial analysis (they recommended a seven-year forecast), convene elected representatives from participating agencies to develop an RFA service plan (the document that becomes the operating agreement and levy proposal), and, if those governing bodies approve, place the RFA plan on the ballot for voter approval. Despain noted the law allows a levy rate of up to $1 per assessed value and that, so long as the proposed levy is at or below $1, the ballot measure requires a simple majority (50% plus one) to pass; a higher rate would trigger a higher threshold.

Council questions and concerns

Council members asked practical and policy questions. Council president Kritzer said the change would be a "really big deal for our community" and urged additional community engagement and council discussion before advancing a timeline. Council vice president Forsyth asked for comparative levy and tax-exposure data showing what residents would actually pay; she also requested information on what happens to existing levies and pass-through revenues. Council member Fields asked whether the RFA model includes any private-management elements; Despain answered, "No. Jurisdictional."

Several council members asked about employee impacts and governance. Despain said existing fire department personnel would transfer into the RFA and that agencies typically plan far enough in advance that employees do not lose jobs; he said governance would be structured by the participating jurisdictions and that elected officials can appoint representatives to the governing board. Despain said economies of scale often reduce levy rates as more agencies join, though specifics depend on participating jurisdictions and the final service plan.

Next steps and staff commitments

Fire staff said they remain at an informational stage and urged that the council decide whether to ask staff to develop a more detailed financial analysis and a community-engagement plan. Chief Shepherd and Despain offered to connect council with elected officials from jurisdictions that have completed RFA transitions to share experiences. No formal votes were held; the committee requested follow-up analysis on finances, tax implications for residents, implications for existing levies and the future of non-operational fire functions (inspections, plan review).