Four EMS levies passing safely

Justin Johnson | Aug 04, 20220

Courtesy of CMFE count

A brush fire near Gault Road recently drew a response from Central Mason Fire & EMS. A levy lid-lift vote for CMFE, also known as Fire District 5, is passing with more than 60% of Tuesday's initial vote count.

NOTE: This story was updated to include Wednesday's 4:30 p.m. second ballot count.

Four levies supporting emergency medical services in Mason County are passing after the initial ballot count of Tuesday's primary election.

An emergency medical services levy for the City of Shelton is passing with 998 "yes" votes and 653 "no" votes.

Mason County Fire Protection District No. 4's levy lid-lift vote was easily passing in the second count, gathering 1,346 "yes" votes against 804 "no" votes. The levy lid-lift restores the district's levy rate to $1.50 per $1,000 of assessed property value. That rate was passed by voters in 2011, but had decreased due to $0.97 during the past 10 years due to limits on the levy rate in the state's constitution.

Fire Chief Corey Rux said the district is "extremely gratefully and humbly appreciative of the citizen vote ... to pass this levy."

"(It's) criticially important for the citizens of Mason County Fire District 4," he added.

A levy lid-lift for Central Mason Fire & EMS, established as Mason County Fire 5, is also passing after the second count. The measure has received 3,156 "yes" votes and 1,857 "no" votes.

The lid-lift restores Fire 5's levy rate to $1.48 per $1,000 of assessed property value, which had previously been approved by voters in 2013. Currently, the rate is $0.97.

A renewal EMS levy for Mason County Fire Protection District No. 11, known as Island Lake Fire, is passing comfortably with 387 "yes" votes and 144 "not" votes. The levy renews the district's current rate of $0.50 per $1,000 of assessed value for an additional six years beginning in 2022 and ending in 2027.

"The initial numbers are looking very promising," Island Lake Fire Chief Brandon Searles wrote in an Wednesday morning email to the Journal. "We are grateful for the support our community has shown us and continues to show us. It is an honor to serve our community and we will continue to be there for them."

A count of additional ballots was scheduled for 4 p.m. Wednesday, after the Journal had gone to press. Updated results will be available on the Journal's website, masoncounty.com.