City to consider leaving EFR
October 14, 2009
By J.B. Wogan
New: Oct. 14, 4:09 p.m.
In a change from previous statements inside City Hall, Sammamish is taking a serious look at leaving Eastside Fire & Rescue, according to city officials.
City Manager Ben Yazici confirmed that a review begun in April is no longer routine, and he has had discussions with Deputy Fire Chief Jeff Griffin about leaving EFR. He said he and Griffin have talked about the logistics of how fire coverage would be redistributed if Sammamish broke from the regional fire agency.
But he added that the discussion was exploratory in nature, and not indicative of a definitive plan to leave EFR.
“It’s a piece of information that I need to have in order to do a logical analysis,” Yazici said.
EFR provides fire and emergency services to Sammamish, Issaquah, North Bend and two fire districts in unincorporated King County.
Ron Pedee, chairman of the EFR Board of Directors, said that Sammamish’s departure would likely increase the financial burden on the remaining partners.
The terms of the agreement governing EFR seem to indicate that Sammamish could not withdraw before Dec. 31, 2014, but there may be provisions that would allow them to leave sooner.
Yazici has commissioned the FCS Group to update a 2006 financial study of fire costs associated with EFR. He said the update would cost about $5,000.
Fire protection has represented the highest cost increase to Sammamish in recent years, something that Deputy Mayor Jack Barry and City Councilman Lee Fellinge, who both serve on the EFR Board of Directors, have sought to curb.
Sammamish has contributed about $36.9 million to EFR since joining the agency in 2001. Sammamish’s costs (not the total agency budget, just the amount Sammamish pays) increased by 4.5 percent in 2007, 7.1 percent in 2008 and 6.4 percent this year.
At the same time, Sammamish’s revenue streams have largely dried up. The city’s primary funding source, property tax revenues, can’t grow at the same rate as the fire services costs.
EFR staff said they are working to make sure that any increase this year will be lower.
Even in light of daunting future costs of fire service, Barry said he does not support a break from EFR.
Barry also referenced FCS’ 2006 financial study, which showed that the city saved money by partnering with EFR.
Fellinge said he considered a departure from EFR a real option, but it wasn’t the only option. He said he was looking for a way to maintain the city’s current level of fire protection service without allowing increases to the cost. He added that he is not envisioning closing any fire stations or cutting back on firefighters.
EFR’s current funding model, approved by Sammamish and the other partners, is based on an insurance philosophy approach. The total property value of a partner’s area correlates with its level of service (and therefore, its cost of service). If properties are worth more, they have more fire stations and should receive faster responses from firefighters. In practical terms, it also translates into a model where denser, more urban areas receive better and more expensive fire protection than less dense, more rural ones.
Barry has said he suspects a different funding model would be less costly to Sammamish because Sammamish’s newer developments would have fewer fires and less serious fires, thus driving down the cost of service.
Yazici said FCS might look at how Sammamish could partner with other agencies for fire protection, in addition to having a city-owned fire agency. No matter what the consultant finds, the council would make the ultimate decision on what to do about fire protection, he said.
“This is not personal,” Yazici said. “It’s not about me. It’s not about EFR. It’s about trying to provide the best service at the lowest cost.”
Reporter J.B. Wogan can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 247, or jbwogan@isspress.com.
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I will reserve judgment about the appropriateness of the actual EFR cost increases. One can debate the amount of increase but that EFR costs will increase is inevitable and understandable.
One constantly hears talk about a pending crossover when City revenues equal City expenditures. In principle, the city can’t allow itself to reach this crossover point because cities are required to have a balanced budget. Once the crossover point approaches, the city must cut services.
If one examines the City’s finances, one observes that the city has postponed initiated many projects for as long as possible. Staff numbers are static. Department managers wear several hats so that employee numbers can be kept down. Staff do multiple task as well. In order to avoid staff dismissals staff have taken pay cuts. Most recently, the city announced that no major infrastructure projects would be started until the city economy improves.
Everyone is happy with EFR service, so budget pressure is the motivation behind considerations to establish Sammamish’s own Fire Department. Sammamish can’t afford to pay for these services so something has to give.
What I don’t understand is why the City Council is doing nothing to address the City’s systemic financial problems. The City’s economy is built on sand. The City’s economic foundation needs to be strengthened but not a single city council member has made this issue a priority. City Council members keep saying the City’s economy is strong. There are no problems. We are doing a great job managing costs. Okay, so we cut EFR services. This is good financial management, right? Police services have been reduced, why not EFR services as well. Everyone must sacrifice during difficulty times.