After nearly two years of discussion, the Renton City Council this week is expected to pass a measure placing on the April ballot the choice of whether to switch fire service from a city-based model to a Regional Fire Authority.
The council this month approved the “Renton Regional Fire Authority” plan as presented during a committee of the whole meeting. Now it will be up to the voters.
The idea behind the transition to a Regional Fire Authority, which would take the department off of city books and give the fire services the ability to create their own revenue stream, began following the council’s annual retreat in February 2014.
Facing rising costs and a cap on revenues that does not meet those costs, the city is hoping an authority will help free up money in the budget, though it would mean a loosening of city control over the department and operations.
A regional fire authority is a special-purpose tax district created by voters that combines at least two existing fire districts into a single entity. In Renton’s case, the authority would be a combination of Renton Fire Department and King County Fire District No. 25, which presently contracts with Renton for service.
According to Fire Chief Mark Peterson, who presented the completed plan to the council on Nov. 23, Fire Districts 20 and 40 were also invited to join but declined.
In total, the new district would serve a population of 128,000 spread over 33.5 square miles. It wold have a total of seven stations and 190 employees.