Quilcene voters will be asked to renew the Emergency Medical Services levy for Quilcene Fire Rescue during the Aug. 3 primary election.
The Quilcene Fire Rescue levy — written on the ballot as Jefferson County Fire Protection District No. 2 — is a six-year renewal of the current property tax levy of 50 cents or less per $1,000 of assessed property value, which, if approved, would take effect in 2023, Fire Chief Tim McKern said.
The six-year levy brings in about $500,000 to the district. It funds three full-time emergency medical technician (EMT) positions, McKern said in a phone interview Tuesday. Having paid staff is crucial for a small fire department because volunteer staff is more difficult to recruit and the volunteers have more time constraints than in previous years, McKern said.