On Feb. 4, the Friday Harbor Town Council adopted an ordinance sending the proposition of town annexation into San Juan Island Fire District No. 3 to its voters on April 27, 2021. Currently, all properties on San Juan Island are part of the district with the exception of those in town. The effect of annexation will be that owners of real property in town will pay the same rate as other property owners on San Juan Island for their fire services.
The purposes for initiating the proposition on annexation include (1) elimination of an annual obligation of approximately $300,000 paid from the town’s general fund; (2) unification of taxing sources to aid future merger opportunities regarding emergency services; (3) extension of voting rights to town residents in the management of their fire services; and (4) fulfillment of the town’s obligation to the fire district to seek annexation made in the original contract for services with the District.