A petition for a rural fire district in West Kootenai received mixed public support at the Lincoln County commissioners' Aug. 19 meeting.

About two dozen attendees packed inside the North Lincoln County Annex Conference Room, and a few others stood outside in the hall. Among them was Fisher River Valley Fire Service Area Board Chair Stu Crismore, who expressed his support for the endeavor.  

It was the second hearing over West Kootenai Fire Protection Company’s petition to establish a rural fire district. An internal review discovered not all registered voters were notified of the first public hearing on July 15, and the petition was resubmitted on July 27. 

Supporters argued on Aug. 19 that financial support for the nonprofit fire department shouldn’t rely on a handful of donors. West Kootenai resident John Jett said he’s lived in the area for 40 years and is among the few who have contributed to the company’s funding.  

“It’s just irresponsible not for everybody to pick up a part of the bill,” Jett said. 

The West Kootenai Fire Protection Company is a nonprofit fire service in an unincorporated area west of Lake Koocanusa, just a few miles south of the U.S.-Canada border. Its 20-year reliance on donations and grants to fund operations is no longer sustainable, according to the West Kootenai Fire Board. 

A rural fire district would guarantee revenue to the fire company through a special mill levy. Annual property taxes to support the company’s proposed $30,000 budget would increase by $24.10 per $100,000 of assessed value, according to data provided by Board President Justin Burich.  

A steady stream of revenue would also relieve the West Kootenai Fire Board of fundraising fatigue, he added, and allow it to focus on other operations for the company. 

“We are asking for the bare minimum,” Burich said.  

Critics, however, questioned whether the department’s low call volume warranted a tax increase. Former Board President Forrest Spence argued that once a tax is implemented, it’s only going to go up. 

“I don’t believe we’re at that point yet of becoming a fire district,” he said. “The call volume is just not where it should be.” 

West Kootenai property owner Judy Hall, whose husband previously served as fire chief of the West Kootenai Fire Protection Company, said the low call volume means the fire company has done a good job educating the public on fire safety measures. 

Meanwhile, the lack of a district status has limited state aid and several grant funding opportunities for the fire company, she said. This ask is the bare minimum to cover operating expenses. 

“If I were on the board, I’d be asking for more,” she said. 

In 2018, West Kootenai Fire Protection Company raised $33,815 and spent $24,883 on expenses, according to a budget report provided by Spence. That was the fire company’s highest yielding year through 2022.  

The fire company raised $26,042 in 2019 and spent $20,923 that year. There was a deficit in 2020 when revenue fell short of expenses by $4,388. The following year was an anomaly, when the fire company received $19,064 in grant funding in 2021. This included a $14,298 grant from the Town Pump Foundation, which paid for a portable chest compression device, and an $11,038 grant from the Montana Department of Natural Resources and Conservation that was put toward fire equipment, said West Kootenai Fire Board Treasurer Thomas Maxwell. 

A month-by-month cash flow report from 2023 showed that the fire company spent 37% of its approved budget by May.  

QUESTIONS RAISED at the public hearing also speculated the difference between a rural fire district and a fire service area. Former Lincoln County Commissioner Josh Letcher, who owns property in West Kootenai, said the West Kootenai Fire Board failed to educate the public on the latter.  

“My opposition isn’t against the steady funding of a fire department through some sort of tax revenue,” he said. “It’s the avenue that they’ve chose to go down.” 

A fire service area in Montana is funded through a flat rate that’s charged on structures and most undeveloped land within the area of service. The rate schedule is determined by county commissioners, and revenue is used to purchase equipment and buildings. Fees on undeveloped land under single ownership are capped at 15 cents an acre up to a total of $250. However, landowners that pay taxes or a fee to another public agency for wildland fire services on their undeveloped land are exempted from the fee. 

In contrast, a rural fire district is funded through a special mill levy and taxed based on property value. Letcher said new homes with modern fire safety features would likely end up paying more than older homes with increased fire risks under this model.  

Lincoln County commissioners are scheduled to discuss the West Kootenai rural fire district proposal on Sept. 2 at 10:45 a.m. 

Report for America Reporter Hannah Shields can be reached at 406-758-4439 or [email protected]. If you value local journalism, pledge your support at dailyinterlake.com/support.