The Grays Harbor Fire District 2 board passed a resolution last month to return an annual levy to its original rate of $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed value, up from the $1.11 it’s fallen to as property values rise.

The district includes Brady, Central Park and Wynoochee. Returning the levy to the $1.50 rate would help the department to keep pace as inflation drives prices up said Fire Chief John McNutt.

“Right now, of course, everything has increased in cost. Fuel, food. All those things,” McNutt said. “We have maintenance repair bills we need to cover.”

Inflation has driven prices up by about 19% since 2020, when the levy was last set at $1.50, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ inflation calculator.

“It has driven the need for us to kind of capture back some of that that we’ve lost over the years,” McNutt said. “We’re not being frivolous with it. We’re using it to provide the services the public expects from us.”

McNutt said the estimated yield from the lid lift is projected at about $367,000.

“For a 250,000 home, you’re looking at about $97.50 a year (increase),” McNutt said. “That small amount adds up. It allows us to get the things that we need.”

Gear, fuel, medicine and other logistical requirements are all getting more expensive, McNutt said, but they’re essential for the department to provide the services required of them.

“We have full time personnel that are working lots of hours. We need to make sure we’re taking care of them as well,” McNutt said. “Those are the people you want to see when you make that 911 phone call.”

The department is also looking at maintenance and repair costs for its widely dispersed stations, McNutt said.

“Our Brady station was built in 1968,” McNutt said. “It’s in need of some siding repairs.”

The water tower at the Wynoochee station north of Montesano also needs some work, McNutt said, which requires a specialized set of skills.

“We have to prioritize what the concern is. The trucks are still working. We need to get the buildings maintained. But the trucks are going to be a concern,” McNutt said. “Those priorities may change too. A truck may go down. You just never know.”

The measure will appear on the November ballot. GHFD2 will hold an open house at the station on Oct. 12 at 6 p.m. for the public.

Contact Senior Reporter Michael S. Lockett at 757-621-1197 or mlockett@thedailyworld.com.