Brinnon, Quilcene fire levies passing

Published 1:30 am Thursday, August 6, 2026

BRINNON — Voters in the Brinnon and Quilcene fire districts are passing measures to lift levies back to a previously approved rate.

In Brinnon, Proposition 1 is a levy lid lift from $1.39 per $1,000 of assessed property value to $1.50 per $1,000, which voters approved in 2024. That measure was passing in initial primary election returns Tuesday night at 62.69 percent (205 votes) to 37.31 percent (122 votes).

Proposition 2 is a multi-year permanent emergency medical services levy lid lift from $0.46 per $1,000 to $0.50 per $1,000. Voters were approving the measure Tuesday night at 65.85 percent (216 votes) to 34.15 percent (112 votes).

Fire Chief Tim Manly said both measures come with the added protection against inflation.

“Let’s say inflation (Consumer Price Index) is less than 4 percent,” Manly said. “We can push (the levy) right back to $1.50 and keep it that way.”

The alternative is that the levy rate generally drops with higher inflation, and the fire district collects less revenue, making it difficult to budget from year to year, Manly said.

“It allows for us to do long-range planning,” he said. “We’re thinking about putting together our paramedic program, advanced life support, and growing that out.

“Also, we don’t have to go back to the voters every two to three years. That can be very expensive.”

The propositions asked voters to lift levies back to their previously approved amounts and to keep them there for 10 years, Manly said.

“It saves the taxpayers money long-term, and it gives us the ability to plan and budget accordingly for up to 10 years.

“We were very happy with the result, and this will allow us to move forward in a much better position financially.”

In Quilcene, the fire district asked voters to restore its regular property tax levy to $1.25 per $1,000 to maintain fire protection and emergency medical services, replace apparatus and equipment and provide for firefighter safety.

The district’s current rate is about $0.75 per $1,000. Voters last approved a levy lid lift to $1.25 per $1,000 in 2015.

On Tuesday night, the measure, Proposition 1, was passing comfortably at 71.46 percent (333 votes) to 28.54 percent (133 votes).

“We are very happy about that,” district secretary Bob Rewitzer said. “I think we have a very good relationship with our community, and they support us.”

Quilcene’s strategy was more traditional as it will collect the levy in 2027 based on 2026 property values. It will be subject to the 1 percent cap year-over-year that was established when voters statewide passed Initiative 747 in 2001.

“For 2027, the fire levy on homes on the district will be that $1.25, but then each year after that, it’s probably going to drop based on (I-747),” Rewitzer said. “Likely in another 10 years, we’ll be back in the same boat.”

Rewitzer said it would be great if inflation was only 1 percent.

“What the fuel costs are doing to us, and we have to try and maintain our operations within that, it can be difficult,” he said.

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Editor Brian McLean can be reached by email at brian.mclean@ peninsuladailynews.com.