Learn about this fire levy
Coeur d'Alene Press | UPDATED 14 years AGO
The Nov. 6 ballot is going to be packed, and rumor has it a president is going to be picked.
Locally, too, much is at stake. With the first absentee ballots likely to be mailed out one week from today, it's not too early to begin scrutinizing what's on that ballot - and why.
Take the Northern Lakes Fire District permanent override levy.
The district serves more than 35,000 citizens in the communities of Hayden, Hayden Lake, East Hayden Lake, Rathdrum, Garwood, Twin Lakes, Hoyt Ranch and surrounding areas. In all, it covers 106 square miles, making it roughly equal to the area served by Kootenai County Fire & Rescue and much larger than Coeur d'Alene. Yet those fire agencies' budgets are half again as great as Northern Lakes'.
Northern Lakes has not gone to voters for a budget increase since it was created in 2001 by merging Rathdrum and Hayden districts. In fact, citizens served in the Hayden district were last asked for levy support in 1996; in Rathdrum, it was several years before that.
During the 11 years of its existence, Northern Lakes Fire District has managed to handle a 159 percent increase in calls for service. The population within the district has increased 49 percent. Yet its budget has fallen far behind what's needed for today's demands, and that's why voters in the district are being asked to increase the basic budget by $1.6 million a year.
Residents in Northern Lakes Fire District will have five opportunities next month to see for themselves why this levy is so badly needed. Four of the meetings will take place at regional stations; The Press will publicize those in advance. On Oct. 17 from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m., Northern Lakes will also host a media/community tour of the district. That will start at Station 1, 125 W. Hayden Ave. across from Super 1 Food Stores.
No taxing entity deserves your consideration more than those devoted to saving your life and your property. Particularly these days, when grants and other state and federal subsidies are drying up, local support is imperative. Northern Lakes has nobody to blame for falling so far behind in its need for greater assistance, but it is acting responsibly by respectfully seeking additional support now.
We urge voters in the district to invest a little time to learn more about Northern Lakes' permanent override levy request. You can visit its website, www.nflpd.com, and attend one of the upcoming meetings. Because this request is so important to the district, Fire Chief Dean Marcus welcomes the chance to talk to anybody in the district about the levy. You may call him at 772-5711.