Chelan, Douglas Fire Districts Continue Meetings on Merging Into Single Department

The Chelan County 1 and Douglas County 2 Fire Districts are in weekly conversations on their plan to combine into one regional fire authority to serve the Wenatchee Valley.

Another meeting is planned for Tuesday, April 26 at Fire Station 11 , 206 Easy Street, Wenatchee.

The two districts plan to file for a property tax rate hike by May so it can go to a public vote in August.

Chief Brian Brett is currently running both districts, and he says their proposal to increase taxes is still a bargain compared to all other similar size fire departments in the region.

“We’re not asking for an exorbitant amount of money,” said Brett. “If it’s a point of pride to be the cheapest fire department in Eastern Washington that’s similar to us, we still hold that title.”   

A vote for the property tax increase in August would also be a vote to merge the two fire districts into one department.

Brett also contends that having one department would be more efficient and cost effective by eliminating duplicate personnel.

"We eliminate redundancy in taxation within the two districts and just work as one unit," Brett said. "For example, if you have a fence neighboring your neighbor's property and you need to repair it, you usually split the costs of doing it. It's similar to that."

The cost saving would be applied to the number of administrative chiefs, which now totals seven for both districts. That number would be reduced to five with the merger.

Brett says the combined department would also expand some resources across the entire area. For example, Douglas County has not had a Wild Land Liaison. It would receive that service in merged department because the existing Chelan County Liaison would cover the whole area.

He says the merged department would be more cohesive with uniform procedures and personnel that would deliver quick and effective service over the entire firefighting coverage area.

Brett says the rate hike is needed now for several reasons. The Douglas District is building a new fire station in Rock Island to fulfill a growing need, but will need more money to staff the new station.  The Chelan District needs the tax increase to hire additional personnel to make up the lack of volunteers who used to fill important positions at the District.

An increase to $1.50 would bring the rate in Chelan County to the same level it was in back in 2018.

Both districts are planning to individually ask voters to approve a property tax increase to $1.50 per $1,000 per assessed value.

Jointly, they also plan to ask for the same increase

In Douglas County, where homeowners currently pay $1.29 per $1,000, the increase would amount to $8.50 per month on a house worth $500,000.

In Chelan County, where the rate is $1.32 per $1,000, the increase would be about $7.90 per month on a house appraised at the same value.

The intension now is to get the joint rate hike approved by commissioners in both fire districts before May 1, so ballot language can be sent to county assessors with plenty of time for them to review it before the August election.

A regional fire authority would cover all of Wenatchee and East Wenatchee and stretch from Rock Island and Malaga to Sunnyslope and Lincoln Rock State Park.