The third time was the charm for proponents of a property tax levy to fund emergency medical services in Lewis County Fire District 5.
The measure, which adds 49 cents per $1,000 of assessed value to property taxes in the fire district that includes Napavine, officially passed muster Tuesday when Lewis County certified the vote count of the Aug. 7 primary election.
Funds generated by the levy will go toward ambulance response and other EMS needs beginning next year. Those expenses currently come out of the general fire budget, money that will now be used for upgrades to equipment and district infrastructure.
“I’m grateful, relieved, and pretty happy,” interim Fire District 5 Chief Laura Hanson said. “It’s the first time in the 15 years I’ve been here that people have voted for us. We can keep moving forward and trying to keep pace with the amount of growth in this area while continuing to provide good service.”
To enact a new tax levy requires 60 percent of votes be in the affirmative and an overall turnout rate of 40 percent of voters who cast ballots in the previous election. Final tallies posted online show 1,227 votes, or 60.12 percent of the 2,041 ballots cast, in favor of the levy.