Dear Neighbor,

As many of you know, I am retiring from Maple Valley Fire & Life Safety after 37 years. I grew up with this fire department and chose to raise my family in this community. Many of you have helped me grow personally and professionally and it’s a kindness that I will never be able to repay.

We might not always agree on the issues, but everyone in this community participates in the discussion with the best intentions – especially when it comes to public safety. A good example of this type of community spirit was when we discussed the future of our fire department last year.

Our Citizen Advisory Committee, fire department personnel and our board pulled together to examine the options. In the end, our community group decided to ask voters to approve a benefit charge to provide some funding stability for emergency services.

A benefit charge is not a tax. In fact, it replaces some of the property taxes you pay with an annual charge based on the size of a structure and its risk for fire. This stabilizes a portion of the revenue we receive because the size of a building is constant, as opposed to a property’s value which fluctuates.

There is more information about the benefit charge on our web site at www.maplevalley.org, including a comparison calculator for property owners. We also are holding three public meetings at the fire station (22225 SE 231th Street, Maple Valley) to answer any questions you might have about the ballot measure:

• Wednesday, July 20 – 6 p.m.

• Friday, July 22 – 8 a.m.

• Tuesday, July 26 – 12 noon

If you are unable to attend the meetings, I would like to leave you with a few facts to consider before voting:

1. A benefit charge is a voter-approved, public process. Like a levy, a benefit charge requires voter approval every six years. Once a year, our Board of Fire Commissioners has a public hearing to set the rate to meet budget requirements for the following year.

2. Voters in 11 other local Washington communities have approved a benefit charge. – Many people believe it is a fairer way to charge for emergency services. Smaller structures (like single-family homes) are charged less than larger buildings because it costs less to defend them in a fire.

3. It’s sustainable way to fund emergency services. A benefit charge is adjusted up or down annually to fund the emergency services needs of our community.

Not everyone agrees with this idea, but all of us are pulling together to make sure the community can carefully consider its options before voting. This type of exchange is part of what is so special about living in the Maple Valley area, and what I will miss the most.

Thank you for considering our request to approve a benefit charge.

Please contact me with any questions at (425) 433-2102 or bdoerflinger@maplevalleyfire.org.

Brad Doerflinger

Maple Valley