Full disclosure of CIFR budget discouraging | www.scnews.com

Get News Updates
For local news delivered via email enter address here:
Subscribe
Place a Classified Ad
Public Notices
Login
Profile

August 11, 2009

Opinion

Letters or guest editorials do not necessarily reflect the opinion of Stanwood/Camano NEWS or its staff. The editor reserves the right to edit letters for length, frequency, libel, and taste. All letters must be signed and include a telephone number to permit checking of details. The phone number is for internal use only, not publication. Letters should be typed, if possible, and delivered to the NEWS office, mailed to P.O. Box 999, Stanwood, WA 98292, or e-mailed to newsroom@scnews.com before noon Friday prior to Tuesday’s publication. If typing is impossible, please print neatly and avoid cursive. Letter writers are allowed four letters per calendar year.

Full disclosure of CIFR budget discouraging

Dear Editor:

Mr. Tom Difloe asked some questions about the levies for Camano Fire District 1 and Camano EMS. I have not seen the budgets for either unit and will certainly try to get that information.

I do, however, have some information on the income growth of these units and the potential for future income if the levies are passed.

All of the following was developed from using the Island County Assessor's Web site and extracting totals for assessed valuation in the respective taxing areas, the rates per $1,000 that applied and the total collected.

I used the data for 2004, payable in 2005, through '08 payable in '09.

I believe this covers the current levy years.

During the period researched, the FD1 taxing area assessed valuation increased to $3,510,485,975, an increase of 74.9562 percent over 2004.

EMS taxing area assessed valuation increased to $3,785,956,501.00, an increase of 73.163 percent over 2004.

During this period, FD1 income increased to $3,049,915.00, a 22.13 percent increase, and EMS income to $1,222,011.00, also a 22.13 percent increase.

These percentage increases reflect the lag in income due to the 1 percent yearly compounding imposed on the levy initial year income.

Using the 2009, payable in 2010, assessed valuation of the respective districts, and applying the proposed rates for each district, I get the following:

• FD1 assessed valuation of $3,510,485,204 at $1.25/$1,000 equal $4,388,106 income, an increase of $1,338,192 and 43.8 percent over the previous year.

• The EMS assessed valuation of $3,782,956,501 at $0.50/$1,000 equals $1,891,483 income, an increase of $569,472 and 54.78 percent over the previous year.

I am sure that Mr. Difloe and others would like to know why increases of this magnitude are necessary and how the money is being spent.

The fire district and EMS would be better off with full disclosure of income versus expenses and forget the scare tactics.

I will not vote for this levy, and discourage others from doing so.

Carl Hamlin Camano Island