Arlington voters will decide in February whether the city fire department leaves the city to become part of the North County Regional Fire Authority.
Ballots have been mailed for the Feb. 9 Special Election and will likely arrive soon for most voters.
If approved, the measure would annex the Arlington Fire Department into the North County Regional Fire Authority, which currently covers Stanwood and some of the rural areas to the north and west of Arlington.
Currently, funding for the Arlington Fire Department comes from the city of Arlington, however city staff have been looking at alternative funding sources in recent years.
“In a fire district we’re heavily reliant on property tax that is fairly stable. In a city environment you’re reliant equally on a sales tax, so when the economy fluxes the city has to react a lot quicker,” said John Cermak, fire chief of North County Fire and EMS. “It gives the fire service a more stable funding service to maintain its level of service."