By Barbara Schriber
Reader Contributor
I wanted to share a few thoughts as someone who lives in the Northside Fire District about the levy override coming up on the Tuesday, Nov. 4 ballot. You might remember this same request in May, when about 65% voted “no.” But, only about 25% of voters actually voted — far too few to be making such an important decision that affects us all.
I get that there’s never a “good” time to talk about raising taxes, especially when budgets are already tight for many families. Still, Northside Fire has been serving this community since 1961 — that’s more than six decades of commitment. The community has grown a lot since then, but the funding hasn’t kept pace.
The fire district’s main funding source — property taxes — can only go up 3% a year by law, while just about everything else (equipment, wages, fuel, insurance) has gone up much faster. They’ve been doing their best to make every dollar count: applying for federal grants, sharing a fire chief and administrative costs with Selkirk Fire, and even doing their own vehicle and station maintenance.
Their two active fire engines are more than 20 years old — which tells you how careful they’ve been about stretching their budget.
I also had a personal wakeup call on this issue. Our homeowner’s insurance got canceled because of “proximity to wildfire.” It took a while to find new coverage; and, when we did, the premiums were much higher. One of the reasons was our distance from a staffed fire station. That hit me — our fire services don’t just protect our homes from fires, they actually affect how much we pay to insure them; and, in some cases, whether we can even get coverage. Additionally, that can affect our property values.
You probably remember the Sunset fire this summer down in Sagle. It was a good reminder of what’s at stake when fire risk turns real — how hard it is to respond, how much it costs and how much we all depend on these resources being there when they’re needed most.
Some people have said the property tax system itself needs reform — maybe so — but that doesn’t really help with the situation the fire district is facing today. They have to work within the rules as they exist now, and there aren’t other solid funding options available.
After the May levy failed, the district went back, listened to feedback and scaled down the proposal. The new request is smaller and no longer includes adding staff for another station. It’s focused just on keeping the current level of service. Without it, there could be times when only one firefighter is on duty, which isn’t safe — not for the firefighter and not for the public. One person can’t handle a house fire or serious car crash alone.
Since 2010, Northside Fire has responded to more than 10,000 calls — everything from fires and medical emergencies to rescues and accidents. Those aren’t just numbers; they’re our neighbors, our friends, our families. These firefighters live here, too, and they’re doing all they can to keep the district running safely and responsibly.
None of us like paying more in taxes, but that’s the system we have to keep public services going.
Reliable emergency services matter — and losing them would cost us much more in the long run: slower response times, higher insurance rates, and greater risks to people and property. I just hope everyone really thinks about the kind of protection and safety we want to keep in our community.
Barbara Schriber is a Bonner County resident.
