WHATCOM COUNTY, WA (MyBellinghamNow.com) – A local fire district is holding a series of public meetings in hopes of raising support for its measure on the upcoming primary election ballot.
North Whatcom Fire and Rescue, also known as Fire District 21, is proposing a levy lid lift to add key emergency services.
The lid lift would fund up to eight new emergency personnel and a response unit, replace an aging truck and three engines and help to replace Station 63 in Birch Bay. NWFR says call volumes have nearly doubled in the last 10 years and EMS calls have increased by 50 percent.
The fire district serves nearly 34,000 people across Lynden, Blaine, Custer, Laurel, Birch Bay and Semiahmoo, as well as residents in Whatcom Fire District 4.
If approved, the lid lift of $0.34 would raise the fire levy rate to $1.10 per $1,000 of assessed property value.
The first informational meeting takes place on Wednesday, July 17, at 5:30 p.m. at the Blaine Senior Center and will be followed by three more over the next month.
North Whatcom Fire and Rescue joins Fire District 1 in Everson and Fire District 17 in Sandy Point as the three fire districts in Whatcom County with measures on the upcoming August ballot.
District 1 is seeking a $13 million bond to built a new station and District 17 is running back its proposed levy increase to relocate its station out of a flood zone.
