Support Transit, Camano Island Fire & Rescue with yes votes
It's been a rough budget year for a lot of people. It has also been a rough budget year for the agencies that support us starting with the feds, the state and extending to local governments and their service agencies.
Although not the worst nationally, Island County has been no exception.
The county runs on a combination of revenues from property tax, sales tax, the interest earned on invested funds not yet spent, fees for service, and grants where they can be found.
Because of the crashed economy nationally, housing values and new construction have plummeted, sales and the taxes they generate are down, interest rates are at historically low levels, fees need increasing, and fewer and more competitive grants are available.
Add to that, the initiative-imposed 1 percent cap on tax increases several years ago is below the rate of inflation — a very slippery slope.
The result, when balanced budgets are mandated, is that our institutions are in a world of hurt. Services are curtailed and the response times of those services are being extended, if the services are not cut altogether, while at the same time the demand for those services is increasing due to growth and our aging society.
On August 18, we have an opportunity to support two of our important service institutions, Island Transit and Camano Island Fire and Rescue.
In approving the tax cap initiative, we created the opportunity to say what services we want and at what level. So, August 18 is where the rubber meets the road.
Along with libraries, parks and gathering places, they are basic parts of a safe, person-friendly community and need our support.
Island Transit is well and creatively managed. It has served Island County since 1987 and now offers a number of farefree services on Whidbey and Camano including Fixed Route, Route Deviation, Paratransit, Vanpool, Rideshare and Bike and Ride and service is now connected to both Mount Vernon and Everett.
Specially equipped busses are fully ADA compliant and, in addition to bikes, wheelchairs and other mobility equipment are routinely carried and travel training is offered to help those who request it.
In 2008, Island Transit carried almost 1.4 million riders including nearly 40,000 paratransit riders and 270,000 Route Deviation riders.
These two categories of riders are largely comprised of senior and disabled persons. Of the total, there were over 100,000 riders on Camano routes. In 2008, vanpools accounted for nearly a quarter-million riders. Overall, ridership has increased by 47.5 percent just since 2005.
Altogether, that's a lot of cars off the road and a lot of service provided for our senior and disabled population. Transit receives two thirds of its revenues from a six tenths of one percent sales tax and has since its inception in 1987.
Since 2007, that revenue has declined by 23 percent, interest income has declined by 45 percent and, with other costs rising as well, fuel costs through 2009 will have doubled.
The requested increase of three tenths of one percent represents a 30-cent increase on a $100 purchase.
That is a very small price for the services rendered and a price I'm willing to pay.
Camano Island Fire and Rescue (CIFR) is without peers. They are there for us 24/7 with well-trained personnel and first rate equipment. CIFR is very well managed and constantly looking for funds through grant sources outside the levy process.
Two levy requests will be on the August ballot. One is for the renewal of the six-year Emergency Medical Services (EMS) levy which funds nearly 50 percent of those services and which expires this year.
The other is for the fire levy because the mandated 1 percent cap on regular increases does not keep up with the reality of escalating costs, the need to improve the service, or the growth we are experiencing.
Complicating the levy approval is the need to have a 60 percent approval majority and a turnout requirement of 40 percent of those who voted in the last election for validation. A simple majority is not enough.
Failure of either of these levy requests will result in significantly reduced levels of service.
In this instance, reduced services means fewer trained personnel and increased response times. Response times are critical in both medical and fire emergencies and CIFR works continuously to shorten their times.
Again, the levies are a price I am willing to pay for the added security it brings to my life on Camano.
So, the bottom line is whether we are willing to support essential services that preserve our security and quality of life in Island County and on Camano in particular. I am.
We need to support Island Transit and Camano Island Fire and Rescue by a large turnout and yes votes on all three issues.
- Bill Thorn Camano Island
