
The City of Edmonds now has a web page with information about the proposed annexation of Edmonds into the South Snohomish County Fire and Rescue Regional Fire Authority. You can review the web page here.
The city is holding a special election April 22 seeking voter approval of the annexation. The Edmonds City Council approved the special election by resolution in a 6-1 vote Jan. 7.
Edmonds no longer operates its own fire department and has contracted with South County Fire for fire and emergency medical services since 2010. In December 2023, the city received notice that South County Fire intended to terminate its current 20-year contract with Edmonds, effective Dec. 31, 2025.
If annexation is approved by voters, Edmonds property owners would pay South County Fire directly for these services. Following annexation, Edmonds — which is facing a significant budget shortfall — would retain the money that had been been collected to pay for fire services and use it “to fund other critical services, such as maintaining the police department, parks, trails and road improvements,” the city said in a joint media release with South County Fire sent Jan. 8.
“Emergency response is vital, no matter the financial challenges we face,” Mayor Mike Rosen said. “South County Fire has consistently protected Edmonds’ residents, workers, and visitors. Annexation ensures that we can preserve the fast, effective service that Edmonds has trusted and relied on for years. This is about safeguarding our community and ensuring we continue to receive the critical services we depend on.”
In that same news release, South County Fire Chief Bob Eastman said other communities have realized the benefits of annexation.
“Residents in Mill Creek, Brier, and Mountlake Terrace have successfully annexed into South County Fire,” Eastman said. “We love serving the people of Edmonds and want to continue doing so. Annexation allows us to plan for Edmonds’ long-term emergency service needs and brings an entire network of protection beyond the city’s borders.”
Editor,
Can you please correct a misconception in your article and that from the city. Our fire contract does not “expire” at the end of the year. It actually expires in 2030. The fact is that South County Fire unilaterally sent Edmonds an early cancellation notice in December of 2023. Both documents (fire/EMS contract and cancellation letter from SCF) are public and verifable. The city is trying to mislead the community and rewrite history.
We’ve included the specific background on the contract cancellation
Thank you for reporting this aspect correctly. Now the city needs to do the same.
In November Mayor Rosen told us we would be facing bankruptcy by 2027. Last week he revised that statement. We are now officially broke! By how much – $21,000 million or $29,000 million? Which is it? And yes, the Mayor and Council, by a vote of 6-1, has voted to keep the $6.2 million the taxpayer has already paid for fire services to try to fund other services. In their scheme to try to right our sinking ship, they appear to be colluding with Regional Fire Authority (RFA) to annex us. We’ll pay the RFA again for what we have already paid. This is DOUBLE TAXATION. The City needs to annex us to the RFA so it can keep our $6.2 million – part of their budget plan. The Mayor and Council are promoting RFA to help themselves.
Mill Creek, Brier, and Mountlake Terrace have annexed into the RFA. They fell for the scare tactics of the RFA campaign – “if you don’t annex to us, your home may burn down and your home owners insurance will sky rocket.” Shoreline and Northshore are RFA’s next target. They are putting up a mighty fight against RFA annexation. They had a meeting this week where only the RFA were allowed to promote themselves. The meeting became very heated as the residents were denied equal time to present.
Here are some reasons to vote NO to RFA annexation:
1. A NO vote does not mean we lose fire/EMS service
2. We retain local control just like police
3. Keep tax dollars in Edmonds
4. Joining the RFA dilutes our resources since they will be spread over a larger geographic area
5. A NO vote will allow time to fully explore alternatives for same or better service
6. Less costly alternatives are available
7. RFA model is outdated and broken – one size does not fit all. Our needs are different than neighboring communities
8. Firefighters will not lose their jobs if we vote NO. We appreciate and respect our firefighters and their union
9. Why nearby double the cost for the same level of service if we join?
10. Where are the economies of scale demonstrated by joining the RFA?
11. What are the TAX consequences?
12. Lack of transparency and community engagement
13. The RFA has withheld – approximately over $7 million – due to Edmonds. They are presently contesting it. Can they be trusted?
Let’s hit the PAUSE button before we make a mistake that will be nearly impossible to change.
Let’s not allow ourselves to be used and we, individual families, to be financially harmed due to the mayor and council refusing to do their jobs.
We Can Do Better.
Oppps, didn’t mean to put the three zeros after the $21 million and $29 million above. It’s in the millions – NOT the thousands, unfortunately.
My apologies.
The City is indeed working with the RFA for a ‘sales’ pitch that RFA annexation is best for Edmonds residents. The City has embraced false narratives and half truths to make its points. Shame on them. Leading up to an election, the State Public Disclosure Commission requires that any time the government recommends a certain vote in a public meeting, or on their website, they must provide equal time, equal access for the opposition. The City is doing everything to avoid that. I urge every reader to submit questions and opposition concerns to the City’s website and demand answers be posted on the website. Questions like why did the RFA increase their contract price by 50% between 2019 and 2023? Why are they raising the post annexation price by another 65%? What have they done to control costs? Residents of Brier, Mil Creek, and Mountlake Terrace paid 50-70% more for fire/ems service after annexation – why? The RFA touts economies of scale but only delivers higher priced services – why? The City has failed to do any proper due diligence on alternatives to the RFA. The City’s ‘research’ on alternative fire/ems service is a joke. A biased, flawed, and superficial report from Fitch Assoc. that did nothing more than parrot back the RFA sales pitch. Demand answers from RFAinfo@edmondswa.gov. Join 115 other anti-RFA Petitioners: https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/no-to-rfa-regional-fire-authority-annexation
At the upcoming Feb 3rd Edmonds Civic Roundtable meeting, please demand that equal time be given for anti-RFA residents’ comments and questions as are given to the City and the RFA. Please ask for your comments and your questions to be posted for all residents to see when you email them to the the City: RFAinfo@edmondswa.gov. Don’t ask for answers – demand them and demand full disclosure and full transparency per the State Public Disclosure laws! Other issues that are not addressed by the City website propaganda: Residents will not have local control. After annexation, the City will share Board representation with the other annexed cities but will have no effective control over a Board of Commissioners that is dominated by ex-fire professionals – not taxpayers. Residents’ taxes pay over $1,200 for every 911 response under the current contract. That will almost double under annexation with no change in service level. If annexation happens, Edmonds’ higher assessed values will subsidize other annexed cities who have lower assessed values. The Edmonds budget crisis is of politicians’ own making and is not a matter of inflation outpacing tax revenues, it’s a simple matter of out-of-control spending. The Mayor and Council have not addressed the long-term budget issue with their token budget cuts and staff reductions. They need to do more. Please join anti-RFA residents: https://www.ipetitions.com/petition/no-to-rfa-regional-fire-authority-annexation