City, EFR discuss simmering problems
November 25, 2009
By J.B. Wogan
By J.B. Wogan
A three-hour meeting Nov. 16 left questions about the future of Sammamish’s fire protection unresolved.
City and Eastside Fire & Rescue officials discussed a variety of Sammamish fire protection concerns. Chief among them was a worry that Sammamish won’t be able to afford EFR in the future.
City Manager Ben Yazici said fire protection is 28 percent of the city’s operating budget. The annual cost to Sammamish is rising at an average rate of 5 percent per year.
Sammamish is paying about $5.3 million for fire protection in 2009 and — due to some financial acrobatics by EFR to prevent cost increases next year — will pay the same amount in 2010.
Sammamish City Councilwoman Nancy Whitten said that fire costs could eat up funding from other city functions.
“It’s not sustainable for us to count on a 5 percent increase. We’d have to shut down everything over time,” she said.
EFR Fire Chief Lee Soptich acknowledged that the cost increases appear to be a problem for Sammamish (and Issaquah, too). Nonetheless, he saw a silver lining in the Nov. 16 meeting: the discussion was the first of its kind in Sammamish.
“This was the first time we’ve had this kind of audience with the council. We’ve talked about doing it before, but it’s never happened,” Soptich said. “The meeting was fruitful in that aspect. I think it’s long overdue, but I am sure glad it happened.”
EFR gives quarterly reports on fire protection to the City Council, but the Nov. 16 was a broader review of EFR’s history, mission and funding model. An extensive list of stakeholders involved in Sammamish’s fire protection attended the meeting, including city staff, the council, EFR staff, representatives of partner agencies in EFR, and all of the candidates who won seats in the 2009 council elections.
Deputy Fire Chief Wes Collins was EFR’s representative, with the council asking a range of questions about why the funding formula for EFR is based on property values, why costs keep going up and how EFR comes to policy decisions.
Collins said the funding formula was by no means perfect, but no funding model was. The one EFR uses is a “readiness” model where the value of property within a jurisdiction — rather than the amount of services used — determines how much a given partner will pay.
Collins said the driving force behind the annual cost increases was the cost of labor. Salaries account for about 60 percent of EFR’s overall expenses. The benefits, such as increases in medical and dental insurance, would account for another 20.5 percent.
Ron Pedee, chairman of the EFR board and a fire commissioner for King County Fire District 38, addressed the policy question. He said EFR staff gets blamed all too often for policy direction that originated from EFR’s Board of Directors.
The eight-person board has two Sammamish representatives, three representatives from neighboring cities, and three representatives from neighboring King County fire districts.
As an example, Pedee brought up the effort to add new partners to EFR. He said the board asked Soptich and his staff to explore new partnership options. Pedee added that this particular direction had received undue criticism.
“It is inconceivable that our partnership of five is the absolute quintessential, pinnacle of cost-effectiveness of what can be achieved,” Pedee said, referring to the number of current EFR partners. “That’s a stretch for me. It’s not perfect.”
Sammamish City Councilmen Lee Fellinge and Jack Barry, who sit on EFR’s board, have opposed the partner-adding process. In past meetings, Fellinge has said he suspects it wouldn’t be in Sammamish’s best interests to expand the agency.
Whether this is true remains to be seen. EFR staff performed basic calculations showing that adding partners appears to divide a lump sum into smaller payments (meaning Sammamish’s cost of fire protection would actually go down).
But Fellinge has pointed out that Fall City’s fire department — the most fleshed out example of a partnership request so far — can’t afford to join EFR. The fire department would have to get more than one tax increase approved by its voters and would have to dip into its reserve fund.
Fall City Fire Chief Chris Connor said his department isn’t pursuing the partnership any longer because of the cost and Sammamish’s opposition.
In general, Fellinge’s opposition to various expansion options boils down to two fears: Sammamish residents will have to pay higher taxes or Sammamish will have to subsidize fire protection outside of city limits.
Pedee also tried to explain the notion of a regional fire authority, a new option that some within EFR, such as Issaquah, are exploring. In that scenario, one or more of EFR’s partners could form a legal entity with its own taxing authority.
Yazici said he fears Sammamish taxpayers would have to pay almost double what they currently pay for same fire protection service. Pedee agreed that a regional fire authority did not appear to make sense for Sammamish taxpayers.
Pedee said it was more likely that a regional fire authority would not include Sammamish, but could involve a contract with Sammamish.
Reporter J.B. Wogan can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 247, or jbwogan@isspress.com.
A three-hour meeting Nov. 16 left questions about the future of Sammamish’s fire protection unresolved.
City and Eastside Fire & Rescue officials discussed a variety of Sammamish fire protection concerns. Chief among them was a worry that Sammamish won’t be able to afford EFR in the future.
City Manager Ben Yazici said fire protection is 28 percent of the city’s operating budget. The annual cost to Sammamish is rising at an average rate of 5 percent per year.
Sammamish is paying about $5.3 million for fire protection in 2009 and — due to some financial acrobatics by EFR to prevent cost increases next year — will pay the same amount in 2010.
Sammamish City Councilwoman Nancy Whitten said that fire costs could eat up funding from other city functions.
“It’s not sustainable for us to count on a 5 percent increase. We’d have to shut down everything over time,” she said.
EFR Fire Chief Lee Soptich acknowledged that the cost increases appear to be a problem for Sammamish (and Issaquah, too). Nonetheless, he saw a silver lining in the Nov. 16 meeting: the discussion was the first of its kind in Sammamish.
“This was the first time we’ve had this kind of audience with the council. We’ve talked about doing it before, but it’s never happened,” Soptich said. “The meeting was fruitful in that aspect. I think it’s long overdue, but I am sure glad it happened.”
EFR gives quarterly reports on fire protection to the City Council, but the Nov. 16 was a broader review of EFR’s history, mission and funding model. An extensive list of stakeholders involved in Sammamish’s fire protection attended the meeting, including city staff, the council, EFR staff, representatives of partner agencies in EFR, and all of the candidates who won seats in the 2009 council elections.
Deputy Fire Chief Wes Collins was EFR’s representative, with the council asking a range of questions about why the funding formula for EFR is based on property values, why costs keep going up and how EFR comes to policy decisions.
Collins said the funding formula was by no means perfect, but no funding model was. The one EFR uses is a “readiness” model where the value of property within a jurisdiction — rather than the amount of services used — determines how much a given partner will pay.
Collins said the driving force behind the annual cost increases was the cost of labor. Salaries account for about 60 percent of EFR’s overall expenses. The benefits, such as increases in medical and dental insurance, would account for another 20.5 percent.
Ron Pedee, chairman of the EFR board and a fire commissioner for King County Fire District 38, addressed the policy question. He said EFR staff gets blamed all too often for policy direction that originated from EFR’s Board of Directors.
The eight-person board has two Sammamish representatives, three representatives from neighboring cities, and three representatives from neighboring King County fire districts.
As an example, Pedee brought up the effort to add new partners to EFR. He said the board asked Soptich and his staff to explore new partnership options. Pedee added that this particular direction had received undue criticism.
“It is inconceivable that our partnership of five is the absolute quintessential, pinnacle of cost-effectiveness of what can be achieved,” Pedee said, referring to the number of current EFR partners. “That’s a stretch for me. It’s not perfect.”
Sammamish City Councilmen Lee Fellinge and Jack Barry, who sit on EFR’s board, have opposed the partner-adding process. In past meetings, Fellinge has said he suspects it wouldn’t be in Sammamish’s best interests to expand the agency.
Whether this is true remains to be seen. EFR staff performed basic calculations showing that adding partners appears to divide a lump sum into smaller payments (meaning Sammamish’s cost of fire protection would actually go down).
But Fellinge has pointed out that Fall City’s fire department — the most fleshed out example of a partnership request so far — can’t afford to join EFR. The fire department would have to get more than one tax increase approved by its voters and would have to dip into its reserve fund.
Fall City Fire Chief Chris Connor said his department isn’t pursuing the partnership any longer because of the cost and Sammamish’s opposition.
In general, Fellinge’s opposition to various expansion options boils down to two fears: Sammamish residents will have to pay higher taxes or Sammamish will have to subsidize fire protection outside of city limits.
Pedee also tried to explain the notion of a regional fire authority, a new option that some within EFR, such as Issaquah, are exploring. In that scenario, one or more of EFR’s partners could form a legal entity with its own taxing authority.
Yazici said he fears Sammamish taxpayers would have to pay almost double what they currently pay for same fire protection service. Pedee agreed that a regional fire authority did not appear to make sense for Sammamish taxpayers.
Pedee said it was more likely that a regional fire authority would not include Sammamish, but could involve a contract with Sammamish.
Reporter J.B. Wogan can be reached at 392-6434, ext. 247, or jbwogan@isspress.com.
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2 Responses to “City, EFR discuss simmering problems”
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For years I have pointed out to the City Council that a bedroom community is financially unsustainable unless it is prepared to raise taxes beyond what most citizens are prepared to pay.
One study, presented to the City Council, reviewed 70 cost of services studies across the United States. This study clearly showed that bedroom communities pay out more for services than they bring in. City’s with a balance of revenues from retail and offices are able to survive without significantly higher taxes.
Certain City Council members would say Issaquah is thinking of raising taxes or cutting costs. Well, compare the services Issaquah is already providing with what Sammamish has. Issaquah has a community center, a swimming pool, a senior center and staffing levels that are appropriate for a City.
Sammamish is running on a minimum of services and to balance the 2010 budget and meet future expenses, our existing services will be cut and no new services added.
John Galvin
The EFR shpuld cut the costs where all businesses must in difficult financial times and that is with staff costs. If staffing can’t be reduced as they say then do away with the union benefits, lower pay and benefits like others are experiencong in this economy. If they can’t pay for all the overtime, which frankly seems like an outrageous payout to their staff, look at the issue of exempt verses non exempt staff status and quit paying overtime. These folks should be thankful to have jobs in this economy. The inflated union benefits are gouging the taxpayer.