THURSTON COUNTY, Wash. — West Thurston Fire Lt. Isaac Garza knows some property owners in his fire district don’t want to have their taxes raised, but he said at least one critic is going too far to show their opposition.
Signs posted at 110th Avenue and Delphi Road encouraging voters to pass a levy for West Thurston Fire in November keep getting removed.
“That’s theft and vandalism,” said Garza, who filed a police report with the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office.
Another firefighter put up a surveillance camera that captured what appeared to be someone taking the sign out of the ground.
“We welcome opposition,” said Garza. “We welcome folks coming in and the opportunity to educate them in a constructive manner.”
In an interview earlier this month, Fire Chief Rob Smith said if the measure fails, half of the firefighters of the West Thurston Regional Fire Authority could lose their jobs and three of the five department stations could close.
In August, a levy to continue funding for the agency failed to receive the required super-majority.
”It is disappointing for sure, it was definitely a surprise,” said Smith.
He said the agency is struggling to keep up with a growing population and a steady increase in calls for service.
The agency has decided to give voters another chance to raise revenue in November.
Under the proposal, homeowners would be charged an average of $1.60 based on every $100,000.
They are currently paying an average of 97 cents per $100,000 of assessed value for fire coverage.
Without the increase, Smith said cuts will be inevitable, potentially doubling the time it takes for his reduced staff to respond to 911 calls.