Fire district merger critical, officials say

DALKENA – Fire District 4 commissioners expressed concern about the upcoming vote on merging Fire District 4 into Fire District 2. Only voters in Fire District 4 will vote on the merger, with ballots going out to 1,428 voters in Fire District 4 next week. Ballots are due back Feb. 10.

“We’re encouraging people to mail them several days early,” said Liz Krizenesky, Pend Oreille County Elections supervisor, or use the county drop boxes. If they do mail, voters should make sure the ballot is hand postmarked.

Fire District 4 commissioner Alan Thompson said that his biggest worry is that all three public school districts are also running levies on the February ballot.

“My concern is that we get swamped with that and people just go down (the ballot) and go no, no, no,” he said. “That would be my only concern.”

“The biggest question I’ve been asked is (about) new taxes,” Fire District 4 commissioner Charlie Slocum said. He referenced the big jump that property taxes have taken because property values have risen before the merger.

“They’re standing there looking at me going, ‘we can’t afford any more.’ I need to come up with the right answer to tell them,” Slocum said. One answer might be that a wider tax base throughout the district is helpful to all, he said.

Despite the concerns about the merger, Fire District 2 and 4 officials say a merger will benefit the people in both districts.

Pend Oreille County Assessor Jim McCroskey said that Fire District 2 collects a little more than 91 cents per $1,000 assessed value. That’s based on an assessed value in Fire District 2 of $552,950,000.

Fire District 4 collects 96 cents per $1,000 assessed value, based on an assessed value in Fire District 4 of $384,218,000, he said.

While McCroskey said he can’t estimate 2027 taxes, if the two districts merge, the rate will be about 93 cents per $1,000 assessed value in 2026, to be collected in 2027.

District 2 Fire Chief Chris Haynes said at the Fire District 4 commissioners meeting Wednesday, Jan. 7, that his take is that voters south of Dalkena were generally supportive of the merger while those north of Dalkena were “a little bit awkward” about supporting the merger. He said he and other fire personnel planned to go door-to-door on their days off explaining the merger.

He said it only makes sense for the fire districts to combine. It would give FD 4 access to more paid personnel, for instance. He encouraged commissioners to actively promote and explain the merger.

“I really ask the commissioners to really lean into that,” Haynes said. “You really are the elected representatives of the district and really people look to (you) to see who is running the fire district and how it’s running. I think it is going to be a group effort.”

Haynes said he wasn’t as confident as Fire District 4 Chief Robert Webber that it would pass. Webber said virtually everyone he had spoken with was in favor of the merger. He said he hadn’t spoken directly with anyone opposed, but that he had heard that some were against it.

Haynes said it was essential that the districts join together.

Haynes said that he isn’t going back to his constituency asking for more tax money.

“That is not our business model,” Haynes said. Fire District 2 relies on mobilization and hospital transfers, not property taxes, for most of the budget. “We are successful doing what we do and that is the message I think needs to be conveyed. We are not going to be knocking on your doors for a levy increase.”

John Nelson makes the argument against the merger in the county voters guide.

“If we are told taxes will be lower, how will resources and personnel increase?” Nelson writes.

The argument in favor of the merger is much longer in the voters’ guide. Written by Howard Manwill and Rachel Coyle, it maks the case that there will be a larger pool of qualified firefighters and medical personnel. There will be elimination of duplicative administrative, maintenance and training duties. There will be improved medical response times and patient outcomes.

“The merger represents a sustainable, long-term solution that protects our community today and positions us for tomorrow,” the statement in favor concludes.