Fire 12 levy lid lift heads to voters

Mason County Fire District 12 commissioners voted to place a proposed levy lid lift on the Aug. 5 ballot.

Residents will be asked to increase their tax rate from $0.90 to $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value, a 66.6% increase in the fire levy.

At a special meeting April 19, Fire Chief Mike Brown said the money was needed for several projects.

"To upgrade apparatus, to maintain our infrastructure, to ensure safety, as in getting the right PPE and proper training, to improve our services and to be able to save for our long-term goals," he said.

"If it fails, we won't have the ability to maintain the operation of our fire apparatus," Brown said.

The district needs several thousand dollars for maintenance this year. Facilities also need maintenance, according to Brown.

"If we can't maintain our apparatus, then we won't be able to maintain our response levels," he said.

Fire 12 will be mailing out flyers to the community explaining the lid increase request.

Commissioner Trina Young said the district was currently "not putting in any money in reserves for replacement of apparatus."

She said the levy must be increased to have that money.

"We had to take $20,000 out of reserves just to pay the lawyer fees," Brown said. "Our reserves are way down."

The levy won't be collected until 2026.

"We actually won't start seeing funds until April 2026," Brown said.

The total budget under the 2025 levy for the district is $228,797. The EMS levy is $93,681, Young said.

Commissioners said they have a "pro" statement submitted for the ballot but currently don't have a required "con" statement. Anyone who wants to help draft a con statement should contact the Mason County Auditor's Office.

Fire 12 has regrouped and resumed normal operations after a period of turmoil that saw the previous administration accused of misappropriating public money and breaking state laws, according to a 2022 accountability audit and fraud investigation report by the state Auditor's Office.

In May 2024, Fire 12 lost insurance coverage due to years of mismanagement, was declared a disaster area by the county and all three of its commissioners resigned.

When the current administration stepped in, fire stations, equipment and apparatus were in disrepair.

"We have no phones left in the station, no radios, no flashlights, no computers ... everything's gone," Brown said at a June 2024 meeting.

The prior administration also hadn't paid some bills, including a government cell phone contract, for more than five years, Brown said.

Fire 12 is also still paying for attorney fees for Public Records Act violations, charges for ongoing accountability audits and Labor and Industries fines due to the former administration's actions.