Understanding the Levy Lid Lift

What Is a Levy?

A levy is a voter-approved property tax that helps fund essential emergency services, in this case provided by the Marysville Fire District. It pays for things like firefighting, EMS response, rescue services, and more.

• The levy rate is based on $1,000 of a property’s assessed value (A/V).
• Voters have already approved a maximum rate of $1.45 per $1,000 A/V.

Why Is the Levy Rate No Longer $1.45?

Even though voters approved a $1.45 rate in 2019, state law (RCW 84.55) limits how much revenue the District can collect each year to a 1% increase, unless voters approve more.

As property values increase, the levy rate automatically decreases to stay within that 1% cap. This is known as levy degradation.

• Current Fire Levy Rate: $1.04 per $1,000 A/V
• Loss in Funding: The District is collecting less per dollar of property value than what voters originally approved in 2019.

What Is a Levy Lid Lift?

A levy lid lift is a ballot measure that asks voters to restore the fire levy to the original amount they approved- in this case, back to $1.45 per $1,000 A/V.

This is not a new tax. It’s a restoration of the funding needed to maintain and enhance service levels.

How is the District Currently Supported?

The District is supported by three primary revenue categories: property taxes, ambulance transport fees, and other miscellaneous sources. Approximately 88% of expenses are paid through taxes.

Why Is the Marysville Fire District Asking for a Lid Lift?

The community is growing- and so are emergency calls, costs for staffing, facilities, apparatus, supplies, and equipment. The degraded levy rate could limit the District’s ability to:

• Maintain appropriate response times due to staffing challenges.
• Maintain and replace aging fire stations.
• Replace aging fire trucks, ambulances, gear, and equipment.
• Continue providing quality service as the community grows.

Rising Costs of Fire Apparatus and Equipment

Emergency response equipment is essential- and increasingly expensive.

For example:

• A fire engine that cost around $440k nearly a decade ago now costs $1.15M or more.
• A new ladder truck can exceed $1.6 million.
• Ambulances, medical supplies, protective gear, and tools like extrication equipment have also seen double-digit price increases due to supply chain challenges and inflation.

These are not one-time purchases- they must be replaced on a regular schedule to ensure firefighter safety and reliable emergency service response.

The proposed levy lid lift helps the District:

• Replace aging apparatus before it fails
• Maintain a fleet that meets current safety standards
• Build and maintain safe fire stations
• Ensure firefighters and paramedics have safe, effective tools to respond quickly.

Proposed Levy Rate: $1.45 per $1,000
Estimated Cost to Property Owner: The levy lid lift will increase property taxes by approximately $3.42 per $100K of assessed value per month. For the average homeowner, that equals $18.47 per month (based on a home value of $539,700).