One goal: boosting volunteer numbers
The board of commissioners that oversees Okanogan County Fire District 6 will hold a second special meeting Tuesday (Sept. 29), to continue hammering out its strategic plan with an eye to a possible property tax ballot measure in 2027.
The meeting will resume a four-hour discussion held on Aug. 13, when commissioners drafted goals for the district’s wildland and structure fire responses. Tuesday’s meeting, which starts at noon at Winthrop Station, 33 Horizon Flat Road, will focus on volunteer recruitment and retention, and the district’s culture and community engagement, Commission Chair Miles Milliken said.
“The theory is that if we get those two pieces sorted, the other elements (of the strategic plan) will fall in after that,” Milliken said. “This is still in the phase of the board reaching internal consensus, after which we hope to formally engage the public and hear input.”
The special commission meeting is open to the public and will be limited to three hours, Milliken added.
At the August meeting, the commissioners determined that the fire district can’t meet its stated goals for fire response with its current roster of 41 volunteers. Commissioners debated whether they should aim for 80 or 120 volunteers, to be able to respond to two simultaneous structure fires or defend 12 homes at once during a wildland incident.
Any additional costs that come out of the strategic plan may need to be covered by a property tax increase.
This year, the fire district is collecting 49 cents per $1,000 of assessed property value, which is expected to bring in $1.49 million. State law allows fire districts to collect up to $1.50 per $1,000.
Any increase would need to be approved by voters within the district, which stretches from Lost River to Gold Creek, including Mazama, Winthrop, Twisp and Carlton.
