SNOHOMISH — Snohomish Fire District 4’s board last week formally declined an overture from South County Fire to initiate partner talks.
Snohomish Fire began holding exploratory merger talks with another agency, Snohomish Regional Fire & Rescue, in January.
Fire District 4’s reply to South County Fire said “The District has approached merger opportunities objectively but advanced one merger opportunity selectively. At this time, we feel it is in the best interest of
District 4 to continue preliminary discussions with one agency and not multiple agencies.”
South County Fire’s board approached in February pitching that it could be a “natural potential partner,” and wrote it would like to look at forming a partnership or a regionalization plan.
In its letter, South County pointed out its funding system uses a special fire benefit charge, a fee charged proportionally to property owners based on square footage and fire risk of a building which charges higher-risk buildings higher rates.
Snohomish Fire had discussed a benefit charge some years ago, but found it may not be effective for Snohomish.
Snohomish Regional provides a majority of mutual aid on calls, fire board members said in March.
Snohomish Regional, which grew from merging Snohomish Fire District 7, Monroe Fire 3 and Lake Stevens Fire, now has a service territory that partially encircles Snohomish Fire District 4. Its headquarters are in Monroe.
South County shares about five miles of border with Snohomish Fire because South County serves Mill Creek.
Former fire deputy chief Brian Mills told the board in March it should study all nearby agencies to consider what’s best for taxpayers.
A January story in the Tribune about Fire District 4 holding talks with SRFR prompted South County Fire’s board to send its letter.
