Tieton Will Ask Taxpayers To Pay For Fire Protection
TIETON -- When the Evan's Fruit Warehouse went up in flames, Fire District 1 was there. Their agreement with the city of Tieton has been little more than a handshake for the last 20 years.
Fire District 1 Fire Chief Sam Glanzer called the old agreement "weak" and said, "It was not the best contract."
Diplomacy aside, the "weak" agreement cost Fire District 1 tens of thousands a year. Usually cities pay a monthly or annual fee for this type of service. Tieton would buy new equipment or training, but it was no where near the dollar amount it should have been.
I asked Stan Hall, the mayor of Tieton what was going on, and he admitted they should have been paying more. "It was never asked. We had a budget and that's what the district had agreed on," Hall says. "If someone is willing to provide you service for a low price you take it."
A new contract, finished today with the sale of Tieton's firetruck, is worth more than 60,000 a year for District 1. That money that will have to come from Tieton taxpayers, not something many are trilled over.
"I mean it's not going to make me any safer," says Tieton resident Rose Marie Nagy.
"Well they would have to pay for it one way or the other and we were in a position where we had to sign the contract or provide or own services. Having your own fire department is a lot more expensive than paying for a fire district," Hall explains.
And it will go to voters in November. The tax would be $81 for every $100,000 assessed value, but even that amount is a heavy for some.
"Well, we pay a lot of taxes and I can't afford any more," says Nagy.
But Hall insists it's only fair. We'll find out in November if voters agree.
Fire District 1 Fire Chief Sam Glanzer called the old agreement "weak" and said, "It was not the best contract."
Diplomacy aside, the "weak" agreement cost Fire District 1 tens of thousands a year. Usually cities pay a monthly or annual fee for this type of service. Tieton would buy new equipment or training, but it was no where near the dollar amount it should have been.
I asked Stan Hall, the mayor of Tieton what was going on, and he admitted they should have been paying more. "It was never asked. We had a budget and that's what the district had agreed on," Hall says. "If someone is willing to provide you service for a low price you take it."
A new contract, finished today with the sale of Tieton's firetruck, is worth more than 60,000 a year for District 1. That money that will have to come from Tieton taxpayers, not something many are trilled over.
"I mean it's not going to make me any safer," says Tieton resident Rose Marie Nagy.
"Well they would have to pay for it one way or the other and we were in a position where we had to sign the contract or provide or own services. Having your own fire department is a lot more expensive than paying for a fire district," Hall explains.
And it will go to voters in November. The tax would be $81 for every $100,000 assessed value, but even that amount is a heavy for some.
"Well, we pay a lot of taxes and I can't afford any more," says Nagy.
But Hall insists it's only fair. We'll find out in November if voters agree.
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