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A sluggish economy and a desire to not overreach financially in 2009 both contributed to a decision to scale back the Spokane Valley Fire Department budget for next year.
For that reason, Chief Mike Thompson announced Monday the department would not move forward with the planned construction of a new Station 10 in 2009, instead pushing that project back to 2010 at the earliest.
Thompson told fire commissioners at their regular meeting that it would not be necessary to take advantage of the voter-authorized levy lid lift to $1.50 per $1,000 assessed valuation in 2009. Instead, the rate will be at $1.43, meaning the district will collect about $685,000 less in revenue next year.
Thompson said the district will collect about $27.9 million in revenue in 2009 and spend about $26.8 million under the new budget. The difference will be set aside for “rainy day” purposes.
Spokane Valley voters overwhelmingly agreed in 2007 to allow the fire department to raise the levy to $1.50 for up to six years in order to pay for several new construction and remodeling projects. Fire Station 9, at 32nd Avenue and Whipple Road, will soon be completed – paid through the 2008 levy rate -- while Station 10 at 17217 E. Sprague is next on the agenda. The new stations replace two medic houses, which are to be closed due to their inability to house larger equipment.
Also on the horizon is a plan to build a new administration building adjacent to the existing Station 8, located at Wilbur and Montgomery. That project, which would have started in 2010, likely now won’t begin until 2011.
“It just slows things down,” Thompson said.
Fire commissioners were pleased that the district wasn’t planning on overtaxing voters.
“In light of the economy, I think this is a prudent move,” said Kolby Hanson, fire commissioner. “It helps us stay within our means and keeps us from being overstretched.”
Chairman Joe Dawson agreed, saying it showed “good faith” with the electorate by not raising taxes for the fire district’s constituents.
Next year, the fire district will ask voters to renew the existing maintenance and operations levy – but will not add any new taxes, they said.
While clearly anxious to see the new projects through to their completion, fire officials said they were content to be prudent at this time.
“We’ve always been pay-as-you-go,” Thompson said. “I’m not saying that we’ll always be able to stay that way, but we’ll try to do it to the best of our ability.”
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By
Mike Huffman
