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Kootenai County Fire & Rescue seeks $6 million permanent levy override on Nov. 4 ballot
Summary
Kootenai County Fire & Rescue told the Post Falls City Council it is asking voters to approve a $6 million permanent levy override that would raise the district rate to about $1.40 per $1,000 assessed value (roughly $43 per $100,000) to preserve staffing and services amid revenue constraints from House Bill 389 and urban renewal impacts.
Kootenai County Fire & Rescue officials outlined a ballot measure on Oct. 21 in Post Falls proposing a $6,000,000 permanent levy override that would raise the district's levy rate to roughly $1.40 per $1,000 of assessed value, which the presenters estimated would cost homeowners about $43 per $100,000 in assessed value.
"We're taking to the ballot a levy override for the fire district. It's a $6,000,000 permanent override," said Pete Hawley, who identified himself as the interim fire chief for Kootenai County Fire & Rescue. He said the funds would "maintain staffing, support growth, and maintain our service levels" across the district.
Hawley told council the district has not asked for an override in its 25-year history, and pointed to a combination of factors prompting the request: statewide changes tied to House Bill 389, reductions in levy rates over the past decade, and tax revenue lost to urban renewal districts. "House Bill 389 limits how much our budget grows year over year, and it doesn't keep pace with our inflation or our service demands," he said.
Council members asked operational and financial questions during the presentation. Hawley said the district currently serves about 70,000 people and has a roughly $20 million annual budget. On the structure of the measure he said an automatic annual adjustment of 3 percent was built into the planning, and that the $6 million figure represents a multi-year, permanent authorization intended to avoid frequent informational campaigns.
Hawley also described outreach plans: he invited residents to an open house scheduled for Oct. 28 at the Chamber of Commerce and encouraged voters to be informed ahead of the Nov. 4 election. "We want to make sure that we have an informed taxpayer going to the polls on November 4," he said.
Why it matters: the district says the levy would preserve current response levels as costs rise and local revenue dynamics change. The council did not take formal action on the presentation; members thanked the presenters and asked follow-up questions about budget details and staffing.
Next steps: Kootenai County Fire & Rescue will continue public outreach and hold the open house; the measure will appear on the Nov. 4 ballot for voter consideration.
