No Regional Fire Authority (RFA) fire impact fees. Period.
Over the last five years Kent RFA has charged the Kent taxpayers nearly $70 million more than if the city would have provided fire service – $70 million from the Kent economy to fund a hugely expensive layer of government that is nothing more than a money-wasting administration.
The $70 million RFA increase is simple: Before the RFA there was no fire benefit charge cost to Kent taxpayers; plus almost $5 million for the ethically questionable RFA/Kent interlocal agreement for tending to RFA employee comfort/facilities maintenance. This is the number, arrived by after diligent research. The information is available to anyone.
The RFA operates on the fire benefit charge plus $1 per $1,000 assessed property value – no municipality uses this treacherous funding scheme. City leaders signed away all rights to fire service properties and the (priceless) infrastructure the city built (with taxpayer money) over to the RFA and the RFA charges the taxpayers for that privilege.
And now the RFA desires more money. If the RFA is coming up short perhaps the RFA can cut costs, a promise to the taxpayers going on seven years unfulfilled – as was reduced response times. Why not employ more maneuverable traffic-friendly response vehicles?
Funding for these proposed stations is unclear as is funding for the new apparatus and staff to fill those new stations. Kent citizens should not be assessed another onerous fee at the whim and order of the RFA; please tell me why doesn’t the city put this fire impact fee proposal to the voters as the City Council has done with the fireworks ban issue?
You Kent leaders failed to lead and the city endorsed (and enabled) another taxing district within the city – the Kent RFA. May I remind you as our elected mayor and council members, in addition to leading, your duties are to represent and serve the needs of the citizens.
We like our firemen. Please tell me why can’t we have a sensible fire department?
– Eric Bernard
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