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West Pierce Fire & Rescue outlines Nov. ballot measure to replace levy with a six‑year fire benefit charge
Summary
Chief Jim Sharp told the Lakewood City Council that the West Pierce Fire & Rescue ballot measure would replace the district’s maintenance & operations levy and reduce the regular levy rate while creating a six‑year, fee‑based fire benefit charge calculated on building size, use and fire risk; exemptions for seniors and disabled would carry over.
Chief Jim Sharp of West Pierce Fire & Rescue told the Lakewood City Council on Sept. 23 that the district is asking voters on Nov. 5 to approve a new funding method that would replace the maintenance and operations (M&O) levy with a fire benefit charge (FBC) while reducing the statutory rate of the regular levy by about one‑third.
Sharp said the measure would not increase the district’s total operating revenue but would change how it is collected. “We’re not asking for more money or a new taxing method on top of what already exists,” he said; instead, the FBC would be a fee tied to a property’s physical structure rather than assessed value.
Why it matters: Under the property‑tax model, owners of identical homes pay very different amounts when assessed values differ; Sharp illustrated that two 2,600‑square‑foot homes could be taxed very differently…
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