Fire District No. 5 (Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One

Special Election - Proposition No. 1 - Bonds for Fire Stations and Training Facility

Complete resolution text at PierceCountyElections.org

Ballot Title

The Board of Fire Commissioners of Pierce County Fire Protection District No. 5 (Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One) adopted Resolution No. 2022-03, concerning emergency services facilities to protect public health, life and property. If approved, Proposition No. 1 will authorize the District to: construct a live fire training facility; replace Station 51 (Gig Harbor); renovate Stations 53 (Fox Island), 57 (Crescent Valley), 58 (Swede Hill) and 59 (Artondale); make other capital improvements and acquisitions; issue no more than $80,000,000 of general obligation bonds maturing within 20 years; and levy annual excess property taxes to repay the bonds, all as provided in Resolution No. 202203. Should Proposition No. 1 be approved or rejected?

Explanatory Statement

Pierce County Fire Protection District No. 5 (Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One) provides fire, rescue and emergency medical services to the City of Gig Harbor and southeast portion of Kitsap Peninsula.

The Board of Fire Commissioners has determined that existing outdated fire stations and the absence of live fire training capabilities require the District to construct a training facility, replace Station 51 (Gig Harbor), renovate Stations 53 (Fox Island), 57 (Crescent Valley), 58 (Swede Hill) and 59 (Artondale), and make other capital improvements and acquisitions. The Board has determined these capital improvements will address the need to improve community and firefighter health and safety, respond to increasing emergency call volumes and reduce emergency response times for the protection of public health, life and property.

If approved, this proposition would authorize up to $80,000,000 of general obligation bonds that would mature within a maximum of 20 years and be repaid from annual excess property tax levies at an estimated cost of $9.90 per month for a $500,000 home. Exemptions from taxes may be available to certain homeowners. For more information, please call the Pierce County Assessor-Treasurer’s Office at (253) 798-2169.

Statement For

Vote Yes for Gig Harbor Fire & Medic One’s Facilities.

Our fire stations were originally built when the department was largely volunteer. The community and department have grown, and stations are now staffed full-time. Voting yes improves community safety by building a training facility and updating five fire stations to current standards. With the bond, Gig Harbor would still have a lower tax rate than similar fire districts.

Adequate Training is Critical to Community Safety.

Currently, firefighters travel to North Bend for live-fire training. This means limited training opportunities and increased overtime costs. A local training facility better prepares our firefighters to respond to emergencies while keeping them available in our community

Voting Yes Will Improve Firefighter Health and Safety.

Cancer is the leading cause of death for firefighters. This bond would add decontamination areas for firefighters exposed to carcinogens from fires, other hazardous materials, and biohazards from medical calls.

Statement Against

No statement was submitted against this issue.

Committee Members: Vote Yes For Gig Harbor Fire Bryce Nelson, Robyn Denson, John E. Burgess yesforgigharborfire@gmail.com, 253-271-8437 www.facebook.com/voteyesforgigharborfire

Pierce County Auditor's Office 2501 S 35th St, Suite C Tacoma, WA 98409

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